Titans: BLACK
by 0Frite0
Summary: It has been 4 years since the Teen Titans fell apart... Raven is missing, Starfire has left Earth, Cyborg has joined the Justice League and Changeling, Nightwing and Batwoman are conducting covert operations for the League as part of a top secret team... But a betrayal will force the Titans back together, and the list of who they can trust will grow shorter...
1. Burners Part 1

[Hey everyone. My story is a few chapters deep now, so I thought I'd post a quick summary of what this IS and what it ISN'T for new readers. Titans: BLACK is my attempt to tell a espionage heavy, hard-edged, crime-heavy tale of the Titans four years after the final episode, 'Things Change.' The story is following the canon of the cartoon and really the cartoon alone. I'm going to ignore the Titans comics, how they introduced Rose, Geo-Force, etc. and write my own versions of how those characters are introduced, if they are at all. I use some of the canon from the Justice League show, and I plan to use characters from DC comics as well. The most notable being Batwoman.

The story is a mature tale. There will be violence, swearing and some sexual content. I'm going say up front though that this story isn't going to be a hyper-violent, edgy collage of sex and murder, but those elements will be present. I want to keep the characters as IN CHARACTER as I can, so that means they aren't going to suddenly start killing people.

As always, please leave any comment you wish! I appreciate all kinds, even the shipping stuff. Just a note though... The story in this comes first, romance secondary. So, if you are in this for a relationship based story, it isn't going to be that. My focus is telling fun, exciting stories within my favorite television universe with a mature but sensible tone.

Thanks! And enjoy.]

-Garfield-

"Atta boy Sonny! You got him!" Timothy the Boy Detective shouted. He skipped over to where Garfield sat atop the 'criminal,' and gave him a gentle pat on the head.

Garfield hated the pats the most. No matter how many takes they did, it always seemed to irritate him. Sometimes he wondered if the director did extra takes just to piss him off, but he tried to put that out of his mind. It was about the job after all...

Garfield gave a happy bark, wagging his tail and lolling out his tongue like always. He made sure to get that puppy dog twinkle in his eyes so the kids at home had something to 'aww' over. By the sounds of it though, he'd be out of the job soon. The ratings for 'Sonny the Crime Fighting Dog' were tanking, and Garfield could understand why. Kids these days didn't care about cheesy, stupid stories about a dog who fights crime. This wasn't the freakin' 80s. They had video games and other stuff to keep them entertained. There was no room for a Beast Boy anymore.

"Annnnd cut!" The Director finally called. Garfield shifted into his normal form, giving an arch of his back as 'Timothy' walked off set.

"Ugh, this shit was horrendous." Timothy said, calling back to him, "Christ Gar, think you could maybe stretch your acting chops just a bit?" He had a childish voice with an adult's tone.

Garfield looked at this twelve year old punk, who somehow was already convinced he was some kind of child prodigy of acting, with a scowl, "I'm the dog, dude. The dog ain't gonna give you Shakespeare. He's gonna bark and wag his tail."

"Well, this bitch probably just got our show canceled! You were a some kind of hero right? I wish you could have saved this production." He said, storming off.

And thank God for that… Garfield didn't have the energy to argue with Timothy tonight. Hell, he couldn't even remember the kid's real name. Gar made it an internal promise long ago to let those kinds of people just drop out of his mind. Their thoughts could be in the gutter for all he cared.

The kid was right though. This show was boned, and there was really nothing Garfield could do about it on his side. He walked towards the producer, who was busy on the phone, and waited. The sleaze ball eyed him for a moment, then produced a check from his pocket and turned away.

Garfield cracked open the envelope to find a check for two hundred bucks. Two hundred? That's all he had to live on? Great...

Garfield made his way off set, petting the back of his neck as he sighed. Working in Gotham turned out to be harder than he thought, especially in the TV business. Most of the good work was out West, but Garfield needed to stay here… In this cess pool. He had heard stories about Gotham, about the people who ran this city. He heard how the criminals locked their grip around the citizens here and didn't let go. He had no idea how true it all was until Nightwing showed it to him.

Garfield blinked, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket and looking at the time.

6:57 PM.

Crap…

Garfield sprinted for his trailer, stuffing the check in his pocket.

He burst through the front door and closed it, making sure it was locked. He then darted towards the vanity mirror, pulling out a plastic bag from his drawer with a number of cell phones rattling around inside. They had switched to burners weeks ago, yet Gar always forgot. He dumped them out onto his cot, separating them one by one.

Nothing…

He looked back to his cell phone. It read: 6:59 PM. Garfield waited…

7:00 PM.

The burner near the edge of his bed started to ring, and Garfield immediately flipped it open and held it to one of his elfish ears.

…

"We're on for tonight. Meet Red at the safe house in thirty minutes. We're expected at 10 pm."

"Got it."

*Click.*

Garfield fell back on his butt as he sighed out in relief. He was glad he made it in time. If he was late with receiving the call on the first ring, Nightwing would have scrubbed the Op… And this was an important one; a job straight from the top. Garfield wasn't sure, but he figured the JL was involved somehow. He snapped the phone in half, and then stood up to crush it beneath his boot. He then picked up the pieces and stuffed them in his pocket. He'd shove them down a drain somewhere on the way to Kate's safe house.

Gar looked back to the vanity mirror, looking towards himself.

The hero known as Beast Boy had changed quite a bit since the days of the Teen Titans. He called himself Changeling now. He was 18, a man nearly grown, and unfortunately thanks to his stay in Gotham, battle scarred. There was a long scar down his right cheek where he had taken a knife in an attempt to stop a mugging. He was on the job too, so he couldn't shape change. His left ear had the point blown off from a gunshot. Garfield had said 'screw it' to the no morphing rule on that one. Nightwing didn't take kindly to the decision. He had grown taller since he was a kid at 15, growing to a nice size of 5'6. He was still short compared to Kate or Nightwing, but he was happy with what little he got.

Through his aging, he had also grown very bestial. Fur had begun to grow on much of his body, most prevalent on his cheeks and forearms. His trademark fang grew sharper, and Kate sometimes commented on him being like an 'orge.' Garfield didn't mind. It was better than Elf, or whatever Raven used to call him. His hair had grown out a bit, covering much of his forehead. Kate said it looked shaggy, which fit him fine.

He slid the supplies into his backpack, the makeup and hair dye, and swung the pack around his arm. It was best to get there early. Garfield wouldn't know how much time Kate would need to apply the makeup until she saw what he had available. Unfortunately, the studio started CGing out his fur color in the show, so he didn't have much makeup to work with nowadays.

Garfield tugged on his uniform with an unbalanced bounce, tugging at the spot he knew ti chafe to make sure everything was in a comfortable place. He then threw on a hoodie and jeans, putting on a pair of black boots. He hoped his uniform wouldn't get too hot underneath the clothing, but thankfully Gotham got pretty cold at night… Even in summer. Gotham was weird. He finally put on a baseball cap, a Gotham Wildcats cap, and tucked in his elf ears underneath the rim. He then pulled on some black gloves, covering his sharp, claw-like finger tips.

Garfield pushed open the door to his trailer and headed out, keeping his head low. Wouldn't do much good to be recognized, especially tonight.

It didn't take long to get to Kate's safe house. He turned down an alley and looked down both ways. He wouldn't want to be seen by some homeless dude this late in the game. Garfield whistled up, standing back a bit. A long tethered rope flew down at him, and Garfield tightened his backpack against himself, grabbing hold. He quickly darted up the rope, climbing over the edge of the roof to find Batwoman awaiting for him in full gear.

Batwoman, or Kate as he knew her, was probably a year or so older than him. She was younger than Nightwing, but still older than Garfield. She got kicked out of the military for... personal reasons, and had been using her year out of service to dedicate herself to crime fighting. Garfield wondered if the powers at be were annoyed at the title of Batwoman that she took for herself, but they must not have cared that much because she was still patrolling the streets with the name. Garfield imagined the Bat clan couldn't really fuss at someone who was doing a good job at cleaning up the streets. Maybe they believed she had earned it...

Her uniform was mostly black. She had a red cape that flowed behind her, as well as a red bat emblazoned on her chest. Her combat boots were a blood red, along with her gloves. Her mask was a black eye cover, white filling the void where her eye balls would be, and it was all offset by her long, beautiful red hair. Garfield had to admit, she pulled off the 'Bat' look well.

"Hey Red. We uh, using code names now?" Garfield asked, running a hand through his hair as he pulled off his hat.

"Yeah. Since the call went out, Blue said we go code names only until the Op is debriefed." She stated, waving him inside. Garfield followed closely behind, swinging the pack around towards his front.

"There ain't much left. They started cutting the makeup bud-"

"No details Green." Kate said, lifting a finger up at him.

Garfield smirked, rolling his eyes, "Alright."

Inside the makeshift shack Batwoman had made for herself, she sat him down in front of a light. She then sat across from him in a chair, looking over his face, "You have the brush product?"

"Yeah, not much though. I figured I can wear gloves for my hands."

"Alright. We'll have to get some on your wrists though, or at least tape them up." Kate said, taking a hold of Garfield's pack and digging through the makeup. She pulled out a large tube of flesh toned powder and started to work.

Kate really rubbed in the stuff, caking it into Garfield's green skin. She did so much that even a scruff against his face wouldn't reveal his true skin tint. She was good at that. She had quite a bit on herself to give her face that ghostly white when interrogating a bad guy. Garfield lifted his chin so she could get his neck after she had finished with his face. Once she was done with that, he pulled up his cuffs so she could lay a foundation on his wrists.

Finally, Garfield sat in front of a mirror as Kate sprayed his hair with temporary dye, making it jet black, "Ugh, I look like Nightwing…" Garfield said with a grimace.

Kate chuckled, then ruffled his freshly dyed hair a bit, "This stuff won't last if it rains or you sweat it out, so try to keep it covered. Now, what are you gonna do about that fang?" Kate asked, stepping back and crossing her arms.

"No problem." Garfield spun around, fishing a pack of smokes from his hoody pocket. He put one in his mouth, piercing his fang into the filter. He lifted his arms to Kate, thinking she'd be impressed. She just smirked and nodded, "Alright, you're on."

* * *

Garfield lit his smoke as he awaited Nightwing to appear. He had time to replace it with a new one when it was time to move. He still had 15 minutes after all. He took a long drag, looking up at the night sky. He breathed in deep, taking in the cool air to fill his lungs before he let his breath and the smoke cascade out past his lips in a nice sigh. He could just barely make out Batwoman's shape in the distance, a flutter of the red interior lining of her cape catching the moonlight.

He turned his eyes back street level, looking up and down the empty road before him.

"You're smoking?" Garfield jumped, looking back to see the towering figure of Nightwing approaching him. Robin looked as how Starfire used to describe him when she took a trip to the future. He was well over six feet, muscular, hair obscenely long and reaching past his upper back. His chin had become much more square, and while Garfield couldn't tell, he guessed that he was pretty handsome under that mask.

But at the moment, he was in his civvies. He wore a black leather jacket, a pair of dark shades, and a beanie that held his hair in place. He walked next to Garfield, rubbing his hands together.

"Hides the fang." Garfield explained, yanking the used smoke from his pointed tooth and stubbing it out. He took another cigarette out of his pack and pushed it into the fang, letting it settle there unlit.

"Good thinking… But don't let it become a habit." Nightwing was always strict, even during the days of the Titans, but over the past four years he had become much more… Bitter some would say. He had reason to be. After Starfire left earth with Red X and Speedy, Barbara becoming handicapped, Raven disappearing, the once energetic leader had become much more solemn. Garfield noted that he completely absorbed himself in his work, never taking time off to hang or get something to eat. Kate would at least hang out with him. When the Titans fell apart, Nightwing took the death of the team as the death of his friendships too. Though he did help on Garfield and Cy's search for Raven…

"Noted."

…

"How's Babs?" Garfield asked, turning towards him.

"Not here. No details. No names." He muttered out, looking down the street, "They should be here any second."

"Jeez man, I don't ever see you outside of work… When am I gonna ask?"

…

"Fine, how's "Claire?" Garfield asked with air quotes.

"She's fine Green. Can we drop the small talk please?"

Garfield sighed, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. He blinked, suddenly becoming nervous, "How do I look?"

Nightwing quickly turned to Garfield, inspecting the makeup applied by Kate, "You look too clean." He then walked towards the building closest to them and rubbed his fingers into some dirty soot that laid into the foundation. He approached Garfield, rubbing some under his eyes.

He pulled away just as the headlights began to draw near, a black van turning the corner and speeding down the road, "Remember, we don't go hard until the pull has already been made. We need to find out what they're stealing."

Garfield nodded, putting on his best 'face,'

The van screeched to a stop, pulling alongside the curb. The van door swung open, and Nightwing and Garfield quickly jumped inside. The van was already flooring it by the time the thugs got the door closed.

Inside the van, the two sat down on the floor. They were given balaclavas and assault rifles, and Garfield quickly ditched his hat and drew on his mask. Nightwing checked his weapon first, and Garfield noticed he tacked on the safety. He gave Garfield a look and he did the same, only then did Nightwing pull on his mask. He kept his sun glasses on, blocking sight from everything but his mouth. Garfield made a note to memorize what he was wearing...

Garfield then took a moment to look about the van at the unsuspecting perps. Most were of general build, but there was a towering figure at the end of the van that was making the back of it dip. His head was pressed against the roof of the van, and Garfield felt a shiver trickle up his spine as he looked into his eyes.

They were a solid white.

Garfield studied the figure further, slowly coming to realize there was more about him he recognized...

Two fangs protruded from his mouth, and there was a tuft of red hair that peaked underneath his mask at the back end. He could hide it all he liked, but there was no mistaking Mammoth. Garfield gave Nightwing a nudge with his knee, and the former boy wonder looked towards where Garfield was looking. It didn't take long for Nightwing to register it, but when he did he gave a nod and went back to looking out the front windshield.

Mammoth could prove to be a problem, but it had been years since they had fought the monstrous creature. The question was: Was the rest of the HIVE five on this job?

Garfield laid his head back against the side of the van, looking back forward to watch the driver make quick, confusing turns up and down alleys and streets. If they were being tailed, he wanted to lose them quickly.

Finally, Garfield could see the factory in the distance. They were to be briefed once they got on site, but the gist of the job, according to Nightwing, was to steal a crate of military hardware developed by Lexcorp. Word had come down that whatever was in the crate was of high value, and it could turn the tide in a battle with the Justice League. Nightwing must have received word from the men and women upstairs to intercept said crate, but they couldn't just burst into Lexcorp. Lex was legit once again, and any sign of a heist on Lex's merchandise would be seen as an attack from the JL, who were already facing legal issues with the UN. No, this had to look like a crime by criminals, not supers. Taking out these thugs was secondary, the real mission was getting a hold of whatever was in that crate, and that crate was inside Lex's factory up ahead.

"Alright boys," The driver spoke up. He must have been the connection to whoever was pulling this job, "Word is the crate is upstairs in a safe room on level 3. We don't have an exact blueprint though. The mission is the crate, nothin' else. Don't get greedy or trigger happy, we don't need murder police or get the League investigating this shit. We're already taking a risk by pulling this during Batman hours, but we ain't gotta choice. If you have to shoot, shoot to kill, keep movin', and stick with your partner. Cool?"

No one said anything. Most of these guys must have been freelance, no prior connections with anyone else in this gang of robbers.

The van screeched to a stop outside the security desk, and the gang spilled out of the van quickly and quietly.

Garfield followed Nightwing from behind, keeping his rifle at the ready but his finger off the trigger. No one could die here tonight, that much was certain. No security, no robbers and no former Titans.

Nightwing made a dash for the guard at the gate, ducking below his line of sight as the rest waited for him to dispatch the guard. Nightwing sulked around the booth, dipping behind the guard and slipping his arm around his neck, pulling him into a choke hold. He held until he passed out, then lifted his rifle up and nodded us inside to join him.

From there, it was a mad dash inside. Most the workers outside were construction and maintenance, and they were moving so quick the workers hardly had a chance to recognize the group as a threat.

They all collapsed on the front door, stacking against the wall and then waiting for the move to breach. Nightwing led the way inside, and Garfield wondered how deep his cover went. Did he convince this group of rouges he was the one in charge? Garfield wouldn't be surprised. Nightwing was always the resourceful one.

They all pushed inside quickly, guns at the ready. There was a receptionist at the front desk, fiddling with her cell phone. Garfield decided to make himself valuable as well, so he darted over and hiked over the desk, kicking the poor girl in the face. She fell back hard, landing on her back as blood gushed from her nostrils.

The cry she made drove Garfield sick, but he had to stay in character. He quickly turned her on her front and zip tied her wrists together, leaning in to whisper, "Let it bleed." He reached down and pulled the crushed nose out so she wouldn't suffocate, and tried to block out the sudden cries and sobs that trickled out her lips.

He then stood up, joining the others as the converged on the elevator. He could see Nightwing looking at him. He tried to ignore it, tried to make it seem like they didn't have any prior history. He probably disapproved of the use of force like that, but it had to be done. Criminals were brutal, and they had to show their force. Garfield wondered if that rationale made its way into Nightwing's mind, because the man stopped staring at him.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a lone scientist, looking over his notes. He raised his eyes casually, then yelped in terror as Mammoth smashed him into the side of the elevator, ramming his forearm into his neck. The man scrambled for breath, his fingers clawing at the massive arm that held him.

Nightwing had amazing patience, placing his hand softly on his arm, "Don't kill him yet. He may know where the crate is."

Mammoth nodded, letting up off the poor scientist. He coughed furiously, falling down on his knees as the troops surrounded him, "Ack... Uh... W-what do you want?"

"We're looking for a crate: High value, came in last night." Nightwing stated, pressing the barrel to his forehead, "You have one chance to show us where it is."

The man nodded quickly, standing up to press the button for level 3. The group filed into the elevator, Nightwing holding the rifle to his back as he stood behind the man.

The poor guy looked to be in his late thirties, but his legs trembled like he was a little boy. The possibility of death could do that to a person. Garfield wondered if he could remember those trembles, before the threat of death became so normal.

The doors opened with a 'ping!' when they reached floor 3, and Nightwing led the way with his hostage in tow.

The man did what he was told, navigating through the numerous hallways and doorways until they came to a storage area. Level 3 was surprisingly empty. They all must have cleared out after quitting time. Nightwing pushed the man down on his belly, zip tying his wrists as Garfield looked in through a small window into a room, "I see a crate labeled 'Lexcorp' behind a steel cage."

"That's us." Nightwing said, opening the door.

The group pushed inside, and Mammoth went to work breaking the cage open. He pressed his foot to the foundation, and then wrapped his hands around the bars on the door, pulling towards him. He growled, straining to bust open the cage. Garfield could hear the steel start to churn, the bars bending at his will as he eventually busted open the door with a loud snap.

This was the moment...

Nightwing said the code phrase, "Score." Nightwing dropped a smoke grenade, the room instantly filling with vision blurring grey smoke.

Garfield shifted from a human to a large gorilla, giving a roar as he swung back, knocking a robber off his feet and out the door. He toppled backwards unconscious.

He then Slammed his whole body into Mammoth, taking him by the hair along the back of his neck and slamming his head forward into the bars. He continued to bang his head against the steel, awaiting for that resistance to give out and the monstrous Mammoth to go limp.

Garfield couldn't see him, but he assumed Nightwing was sweeping up the rest. He could never hear him move, only the smacks and grunts of the men he put down. Eventually, it was quiet, and Garfield gave a loud snort as Mammoth started to push back, trying to break free. He was strong, and Garfield wouldn't hold long against a furious Mammoth.

Thankfully, Nightwing crawled on Garfield's back, reaching over him to place a gas grenade on Mammoth's face. Garfield backed up as it went off, a puff of green toxins filling Mammoth's lungs before he fell over, unconscious.

Nightwing jumped down, reaching for his watch and activating the timer, "Ok, 3 minutes. We gotta have this crate on the roof in 3 minutes."

Garfield nodded, still in Gorilla form. He waddled into the cage, picking up the crate in his arm like it was nothing. He then grunted towards Nightwing, following the hero towards the stairs.

They booked it upwards, Garfield taking a few liberties in skipping some floors with his ape reflexes. Nightwing didn't even need ape reflexes; he jumped between floors like they were nothing...

It was only a matter of time before the two were on the roof. No sirens yet, nothing... They had moved fast. Nightwing pulled a flare gun from his utility belt and shot it off.

The flare filled the sky with light, illuminating the two as the searched Gotham's horizon for the Blackhawk helicopter stolen off the army base just East of the plant.

A few seconds later, a lone helicopter approached at low altitude. It came in close, and Garfield could see Kate at the helm. It dipped towards them, hovering over the two.

Nightwing drew out his grappling hook, and then shot a round towards the chopper. It hit the underbelly, and the claws of the grapple sank into the steel, gripping it tight. He then attached the crate to his hook, hopping atop the crate as Garfild morphed into a hawk and flew up towards the deck of the chopper. He then morphed back into his humanoid form, sitting on the edge as Nightwing pulled himself up.

As Nightwing slipped inside, he sat next to Garfield, looking out over Gotham. The chopper pulled away, steering towards Inner Gotham as the Lexcorp plant shrank in the distance. Garfield stuck out his fist towards him, and for the first time Garfield had seen in weeks, Nightwing smiled. He returned the fist bump naturally.

* * *

"They're late..." Muttered Nightwing, crossing his arms.

The warehouse picked out for the drop was out towards Gotham's old industrial complex. It was a shabby thing, broken windows and old graffiti. Garfield could even pick out some of the old gang tags of Gotham. The Ghost Dragons were there... Even some old Penguin tags.

Kate sat atop the crate, looking towards Nightwing as he paced back and forth, "This was a risky Op Blue. They'll show when they can."

"Why do I feel like they might not show at all?" Nightwing grumbled, walking back towards Garfield. Nightwing had been showing a growing resentment of all things JL as of late. He wondered what was causing it...

Garfield was sitting inside the chopper's bay, trying to wipe off what remained of the makeup that was on his face. He looked up to see Nightwing looking over him, "You got too aggressive with that receptionist. Let's hope she doesn't have brain damage."

"I was in character dude..." Garfield moaned, putting the rag down, "Besides, a broken nose won't kill her."

Nightwing didn't say anything. He just walked away, continuing his pace. He was probably right... Crime had changed though, and not for the better. Garfield missed the days of how it used to be, of battling villains who used goofy parlor tricks to get what they wanted. How they decked themselves out in costumes like they were a character for Halloween. Here in Gotham though... It was all drug dealers, mafioso's and psychopaths. Things had changed... And for Garfield, they had made their mark on him.

The loud blaze of Wonder Woman's invisible jet picked up just over the horizon. The distant burn of jet fuel came closer, until it was causing Garfield to lift his hand to block the gust of wind the jet was casting towards him. Garfield lifted his head as a shapeless form began to descend alongside the chopper, planting itself next to it. The engine started to fade, and Garfield once again had a hard time placing the jet's location.

A loading bay descended, the only thing visible among the blob of invisibility. It cast a yellow light against the dirty Gotham environment. Wonder Woman descended from the bay, followed by an old friend...


	2. Burners Part 2

-Garfield-

Cyborg had changed quite a bit since the old days of the Teen Titans. For one thing, he wasn't quite the clunky old robot that Gar remembered him as. Gone were the days of his blue, cybernetic veins cycling coolant through his body. No, Cyborg had made upgrades to himself, and they did wonders not only for his appearance but for his self esteem. Cy had told Garfield that himself...

When he took his job with the Justice League, he had unlimited space to work on and upgrade himself. He upgraded the Watchtower as well. Gar had heard that a lot of it was running on his systems now. With his body, he decided to ditch the mechanical parts that made him look so inhuman, and went for some kind of nano machines. Garfield didn't really know how they worked, but the way Cyborg explained it made it seem pretty complex but totally cool.

His flesh, while still a metallic grey in most areas, was now smooth to the touch. It even felt like real skin, until Cy flexed and made the armor as hard as steel. The nano machines also allowed Cyborg to transform parts of his body. His arm no longer had to lock a plasma cannon into place from inside a hidden compartment. Instead it just transformed into one. He could also create swords, hammers and daggers. Gar had even seen him create hook arms for climbing.

The thing he was most proud of however was his cloaking tech. He managed to reinstate the tech from his days as Stone, his old cover within the H.I.V.E. Academy, into the suit himself. Now he just had to think about looking normal and his body would shape to a point where it seemed as if nothing ever happened to him.

At the moment though, Cy looked pretty battle ready. He really only used the cloak for off time, specifically when he wanted to blend into a crowd. He had on his metallic exterior, his left eye a burning red of electric light.

Gar jumped up to attention when he saw his old buddy descending from Wonder Woman's jet, his face alight with affection for his old brother in arms. Gar met him at the bottom of the platform, jumping into his arms with a brotherly hug. Cyborg answered the hug back with a hearty laugh, "Haha! Good to see ya little buddy!"

"Cy, you don't know how much I missed ya pal... Grumpy ol' Nightwing's 'Batman' routine was seriously runnin' thin dude..."

Nightwing approached the two with a smile, a curious Batwoman in tow, "Alright, enough." He took Cyborg's hand in his own in firm grip, "It's good to see you again, Cyborg."

"Man, I had heard you three were gettin' into some trouble, but I had no idea you guys were gettin' this deep." Cyborg stated, his arm around Garfield's shoulders. Gar led the big bear over to Batwoman.

"Cy, this is Batwoman. Batwoman, I wantcha to meet an old friend. One who goes back to the days of Teen Titans. Red, this is Cyborg."

Batwoman smiled pleasantly, giving the large robot a nod and taking his hand, "Good to finally meet you."

"Likewise..." Cyborg smirked, putting on his charm. Gar wondered if he'd have to save Cy some embarrassment of barking up that tree, but Kate played it all in stride. She gave a pleasant giggle, giving the guy a big smile.

"Sorry to interrupt the festivities," A stern Wonder Woman said approaching the four, "But what's the status on the package?"

Wonder Woman looked as pretty as she did on TV. Her armor had changed over the years though. She didn't really look like a super hero anymore, but more of a warrior. Gar could remember when she had on nothing but a leotard, and he spent a good bit of his adolescence fawning over those exposed legs. Now, that skin was covered in grey, scaled armor. The colors of her suit were faded, a dark red and a bronze instead of gold. On her hip was an actual sword. She kept the tiara though, and her trademark whip... But yeah, she looked like quite the soldier now.

Nightwing became all business, "No damage done to the package. I think we were able to dispatch the crew without them catching wise that we were supers. No evidence of our presence was left behind, and there shouldn't be any security footage of our entry if my jammer worked as designed." He pulled a small electronic device from his utility belt, tossing it to Wonder Woman. "Unfortunately..."

"What?" She asked, catching it within her powerful grip.

"We ran into an old problem. An old H.I.V.E. Member, Mammoth, was in the crew. He didn't make us, and he isn't very smart, but if he puts two and two together we might have a problem."

Wonder Woman just nodded, "Good to know. You didn't have to tell me you guys messed up, but I appreciate the honesty."

Nightwing flinched. He didn't ever like admitting that he 'messed up,' and he was sure the group didn't this time. It was a unforeseen problem that the three had no control over, yet Nightwing held his tongue. Gar could sense the tension about the group, and lifted his hand to scratch under his chin, "So... What exactly did we steal?"

Nightwing and Wonder Woman looked to him like he just asked the dumbest question in the world. What? Didn't they work hard for this snatch? Why couldn't they know about it?

Batwoman backed Gar up, "Yeah, I'd like to know too..."

Cyborg looked to Wonder Woman, seemingly trying to appeal to her, and she gave a sigh, "Fine. Not here though. Let's go back to the Watchtower."

That seemed to make Nightwing, Changeling and Batwoman all stop dead in their tracks. The Watchtower? Garfield had never been up there. He had heard the rumors: How it was a sanctuary for the super powered. The UN had been in talks of making the Watchtower its own individual state, but there was concern over the supposed 'death cannon' that was built into the space station. Garfield figured it was a legitimate concern.

"Uhm, are we allowed to go? Garfield asked, looking up to Cyborg.

Cy smiled down to Gar, "Of course you are. Wondy and I are on the round table. If we say it's ok, then it is."

"Don't call me Wondy..."

Garfield looked to Nightwing, like he did in most of these situations. Nightwing was still the leader of the three, and his word was law in Gar's eyes. He was the one who kept him alive these past four years after all. A feat hard to do for a crime fighter in Gotham. He could tell there was conflict within Nightwing though. Batman had broken away from the league, and Gar knew that Nightwing shared some of the Bat's reservations about the space station. In all honesty, Gar would love to go up and see the space station. Not even as a debriefing, but just to satisfy that inner kid that still lingered inside him. Who gets the chance to see a space station filled with the world's mightiest heroes?

Garfield glanced to Batwoman, and that glance led Nightwing to look at her as well. Batwoman couldn't really hold a passive look. She bit her lip at the possibility of going.

"Alright. We will go." Nightwing finally agreed, giving a small smile. Gar wondered if he could just sense the desire in the air between his two teammates.

Garfield couldn't help but strike the air with a satisfied punch, "Yes! This'll be awesome."

* * *

Garfield pressed his forehead against the air tight window as the ship broke past the Earth's atmosphere. There was a shake of turbulence as the jet struggled with the planet's gravity to slip into deep space. He watched as the night sky suddenly became space itself, and the stars seemed so much brighter from the hazy, pollution soaked sky Gotham offered them in. Gar did indeed feel like a kid again, giving Batwoman a nudge with his elbow as he saw the Watchtower approach in the distance.

She planted her chin against his shoulder, smiling out the window with him. Gar figured she felt the same way.

"So, what's in the package?" Nightwing asked, sitting with his arms crossed. All business.

Wonder Woman and Cyborg glanced at each other, then Cy spoke up, "Kryptonite rounds for a heavy machine gun."

…

Garfield and Kate both turned away from their view to look towards Cyborg.

"Oh." Even Nightwing seemed surprised.

"Yeah, this was a huge risk man... Supes had ya'lls record though, and Bats and I convinced him you guys could get it done. This all had to be done in secrecy though. If Lex is developing Kryptonite ammunition, it's for one reason and one reason only... Unfortunately, seeing as what ya'll just did was corporate theft, we can't really show this to anybody and have Lex indicted. And Lex is pretty popular State side in terms of political power."

"With any nation, the need for espionage is needed. Supers need to strengthen their resolve against any state who may try to strike at us." Wonder Woman chimed in, still focused on flying.

"Yeah... Wondy's a bit more Nationalist on this matter then I am, but she's right. The best offense is a good defense, and the best defense is one you don't see comin'. Hence: You guys."

"We've appreciated the constant help The Oprhans have given us. Don't think this isn't getting you anywhere in terms of standing with the league." Wonder Woman added in.

The Orphans...

That's what their little rag tag group had been calling themselves, but it was barely known outside the three and some officials on the Watchtower; Wonder Woman included it seemed... They wouldn't be a very good covert ops team if they were well known. Garfield had no doubt in his mind that the round table knew all of the Orphan's dirty little secrets. Probably even their identities... Hell, someone had to know Nightwing's true identity. Batman had to at least. How would he have gotten such intense and on hands training if he didn't?

Garfield bet that someone high up in the U.S. Military had probably heard of them too, seeing as how they had an official file. (According to Cyborg.) Nightwing even entertained the idea of taking on some military contracts from time to time; If they seemed like they would help the good fight and didn't involve killing.

"Does a good defense include a death ray?" Nightwing muttered.

That brought on a silence as quiet as space as Cyborg frowned at him, "Come on man...We've talked about this."

"Yeah, and I find it kind of ironic how you're speaking of defending yourself against other nations when yours is out gunning all the others. They may have tolerated your 'last resort' back when the Justice League was a group dedicated to protecting people, but ever since you all have gone rogue-"

"We haven't gone rogue! We're still helping the planet, but as an entity as large as the Justice League, we have to keep self preservation on our sights at all times. Why do you think we built the T Tower out on the ocean-"

"The T Tower was different! It was localized, standing for something that people could hope for, but at the same time not feel oppressed by-"

"Enough." Wonder Woman said, looking back to Nightwing with a frown. "We all know of the Bat and his Children's disapproval of what the League has become. Your complaint has been noted... Robin."

That must have stung. Nightwing took the final lashing with his mouth closed, crossing his arms. Gar had to admit, he looked pretty child-like in that moment. Garfield wondered if he had taken lectures like that before. It was probably why he gave so many out to the rest of the group.

Cyborg didn't seem to like where the conversation led by the looks of it. He looked out the window into space, letting the silence overcome them.

Garfield looked back to Kate, who just shrugged. She then rested her head on his shoulder, her white eyes closing from behind her dark mask. Gar figured she wanted to get some Zzz's in before landing, which wouldn't be long now. Fine by Garfield. The three had a long night, and he had to admit he was feeling the strain as well. It would be good to catch some sleep up on the Watchtower.

Kate never cared much for League politics, and to be honest most of it was outside of Garfield's understanding. Kate always said, 'I'm just here to serve,' and Gar always liked that. He wondered if he could adapt the same slogan, forgoing all the political bullshit that dragged with being a super hero these days. He liked the idea of just being there when the people needed him. He wasn't saving whole cities or stopping super villains, but he hoped the people street level could appreciate his efforts, however futile they may have seen in the dark, twisted city of Gotham...

* * *

Landing Wonder Woman's jet took longer than Garfield would have liked. It seemed, just from observation, that the Watchtower had some serious security paranoia. The three were scanned, patted down, and then given a small briefing on what or wasn't acceptable on the station. Garfield was surprised to find non-supers operating as staff, each armed with a high powered assault rifle. Things had changed...

Once inside though, Garfield marveled at the large space the station provided. The Orphans walked out into the main hall, looking up towards the multitude of computer consoles and TV screens that circled around the big hall. At the center was the Martian Manhunter, giving directions and pointing towards men with orders.

Garfield smirked, calling up at him, "What's up my green homie! Green power." He then lifted a fist to the alien in solidarity.

Manhunter just stared at him blankly, blinking... He then raised a halfhearted fist with him.

Garfield received a light smack on the back of his head for his antics, and he turned to give a toothy grin to Cyborg who was trying to contain his laughter, though scolding him at the same time, "Knock it off... These are serious dudes, and I don't need you kids underminin' me." He said, nodding towards a side door. "We got to debrief you guys at some point, but if you wanna wait till morning..."

"YES dude... Red and I are exhausted." Gar said, looking back to Batwoman. She looked as if she were having trouble standing with her sleepiness.

Nightwing looked annoyed, "Team, we really should debrief as soon as we can-

"Nah Nightwing, it's cool. Cides, it wouldn't be the full staff. Most of the round table are already in bed or on patrol. We usually meet for morning briefs around 9 AM Eastern Time. Plus, B-man wanted to be here for the debrief, so he's beaming up tomorrow." Cyborg said, giving him a pat on the back. "Thing is though... We don't really got guest rooms."

"Couldn't we sleep in your room, dude?" Garfield asked.

"I sleep on a slab, remember?"

"Oh yeah... Yeah, that wouldn't be comfortable."

"Nah, it wouldn't." Cyborg thought for a moment, looking to Wonder Woman. She was looking over the stolen crate, going over it with Watchtower Customs and giving it the initial quarantine test. It would stay locked in a little room outside the main hall until it passed said test. "Yo Wondy. Where can my friends sleep?"

Wonder Woman turned to him and frowned, giving a sigh, "I'm going to be up most the night making sure this thing isn't toxic or going to explode. I guess they can sleep in my room." She then approached Nightwing, drawing a key card from her belt. She placed it in his hand, looking into his eyes with a grim furrow of her brow. "Not one thing out of place..." She then glanced to Batwoman, "And give her the bed. You two sleep on the couch and the floor."

Batwoman smirked at that, sticking her tongue out at Gar playfully. Garfield laughed, rolling his eyes at the sudden girl power flux in the room.

Nightwing just nodded, taking the pass.

The three were led by Cyborg towards Wonder Woman's room, Cyborg going on and on about JL politics with Nightwing. The two other Orphans were already pretty tired of this discussion, and hung back from the two to whisper, "Christ, it's like I'm watching the news..." Garfield mumbled.

"I know what you mean..." Batwoman said with a yawn.

"So?"

"Hm?" Batwoman asked, looking towards Garfield.

"Would ya?"

"Hit it?" She asked with a smirk, peeking back towards the hall where Wonder Woman was still standing. "That's a tough one... I feel like she'd break me in half."

"That's gotta be an experience though. You gotta hit it just to say you did." The two laughed as they turned the corner, approaching the quarters.

Along the way, they passed a number of Supers. Green Arrow, Booster Gold and even one of the Green Lanterns. Gar thought it was the original, the round table one, but he wasn't sure. He couldn't help but be a bit giddy as he passed them, feeling the need arise to say something to each, but then chickening out at the last moment.

When they finally reached Wonder Woman's room, Cyborg gave them each a good night, "Alright, like I said, you gotta be up at 9 AM for the brief." He then looked to Garfield, "That means you too my man..."

"We get up at 5 AM to do training drills, dude." Garfield replied.

Cyborg laughed, thinking it was a joke. His laughter then slowed when he realized no one else was laughing, "Jesus Nightwing, you sure turned them into some proper soldiers."

"It was how I was trained." Nightwing said, sliding the key to open the door.

The three stepped inside Woman Woman's room. It was decorated lightly, a few paintings of her Amazonian home, as well as some ancient looking pottery. Looked pretty bland to Garfield, but he could see a pretty broad smile on Batwoman's face as she entered the room. Mainly it was because of the bed, which was big and wide.

"Sure you don't wanna share?" Garfield asked, giving a snicker as she hopped up on it.

"No way." She said, reaching up to her head and pulling off her wig. The long, beautiful, tumbling tresses of blood red hair fell to her lap. In their place was a military cut, short yet still girlish, and still just as red. She looked up to Gar who just shrugged, morphing into a dog and curling up at the edge of the bed. The canine looked up to Nightwing and Cyborg, who were staring at Kate.

"What?" She asked, looking perplexed.

"That's not your real hair?" Nightwing asked. If Garfield could smile as a dog, he would be now. Instead he panted, looking up towards Nightwing.

"Nah man. One pull and it's all over. You telling me yours is real?"

Nightwing scratched his head in embarrassment. Cyborg laughed loudly, hand planting his face as he walked away from the doorway and disappeared from their sight, "Night guys! Ahahahaha..." His laughs faded into the distance.

Batwoman snickered, falling back on the bed and crawling towards the pillows.

-Dick-

Dick Grayson couldn't sleep. The couch wasn't uncomfortable... In fact, it was fine. It's just he had too many things on his mind. Garfield didn't know it, and Kate didn't really care, but the world was changing. Cyborg was a fool to think otherwise. There was an influx of Supers, people with super powers, and Dick wasn't sure if this new world would accept them. They had already pushed the Justice League to the edge, forcing them to try and declare the Watchtower as a lone state. Dick thought that was ridiculous. How was a group dedicated to protecting mankind supposed to maintain that image with the moves they were making now? It was like they were asking for war.

That's what really kept Dick up at night. The aspect of war was growing slowly day by day, and though his comrades didn't realize it, it would be bad for all meta humans. Not just meta humans either. Those without super powers who joined the League as just regular humans with ambition... They'd have to make a choice. Fight with the League? Or fight for the world...

Dick sighed, turning over to face the other direction. He could feel the light of a screen cast upon him, and he opened his eyes to see both Garfield and Kate on Wonder Woman's computer console. He sat up, rubbing the sand from his eyes, making sure to keep his Harlequin mask in place. "What the hell are you two doing?" He asked, sitting up with a yawn.

"We are lookin' to see if the League Intel logs have anything on Raven." Garfield said, looking back to Dick.

"You already know the answer to that. Cyborg said the League has nothing on her location."

"Yeah," Batwoman whispered, peeking back with a smirk, "But Gar found an encrypted folder of League black files. These are designated specifically to Wonder Woman, Supes and Batman."

"We just need your crack to break into em'..." Garfield muttered, pulling a small flash drive from his utility belt. Dick regretted ever giving that to him, or teaching him basic code breaking for that matter. He jumped up, quickly darting to Changeling and grabbing him by the wrist.

"The hell you think you're doing? That thing may get you in, but after you break past the encryption League security is going to be all over your ass." Dick said with a frown.

"Come one dude..." Garfield whined, "What if they know something about Raven? What if they have some leads? It has been four years dude. We gotta find her..."

"Why? Why do you and Cy obsess with this so much? She's gone Garfield. Just like Star and all the others. She wanted to move on. Maybe she went back to Azarath, but it doesn't matter to us anymore because she's gone!"

"You think that! But we know Raven. She wouldn't just leave! She's been taken, or... She's been killed. I wanna know for sure! I wanna know if my friend is alive or dead! Don't you?"

Batwoman backed up as the two began to raise their voices. Dick looked to her with a growl, "What about you?"

Batwoman lifted her hands defensively, "Hey, I don't even know the chick. This is up to you two."

Dick turned back to Garfield. The two glared at each other. Nightwing usually had Gar by his reigns, able to reel him in and get him what he wanted to do. He liked that aspect of Garfield. His submissive nature got the job done and made it easier to give orders. What he was looking at now though... Was the Beast. Dick had seen this side of Gar on a few occasions, none of them good, but what stood out was the determination. Garfield was determined to find their comrade Raven, and he wasn't going to let the threat of being kicked out from the tower stop him. No matter what Dick said...

Nightwing released his wrist, giving a sigh, "Fine. Do what you have to... But when Wonder Woman finds us out and we're kicked out, don't come crying to me cause you didn't get to see the game room or some stupid shit."

Garfield smirked, happy with his win. Nightwing turned away in annoyance as Batwoman came back to Garfield's side. She leaned on his shoulder, watching as Garfield connected the drive to the USB port. Nightwing watched from the corner of his eye. If there were any security protocols he didn't know about, he wanted to make sure he was quick enough to push Gar from his chair and get them out.

"We're in..." Garfield muttered, quickly clicking on the keyboard.

Nightwing breathed a sigh of relief, turning away from the two. He'd let them look, and when they found nothing he'd give them a lecture on proper etiquette on being guests of the League. Dick strolled over towards a long mirror on Wonder Woman's wall. He looked at his long hair with a frown. Maybe Kate was right... Maybe he should cut it-

"Holy shit dude..." Garfield whispered, a slight quiver in his voice.

"Can't be." Kate replied.

Nightwing quickly turned to them, approaching the 'hackers' with curiosity. There was an image on the screen...

It was a live feed of a medical room. The entire place was the color of white, surrounded by medical equipment and computers. White bed, white gurney, white walls and a white counter... There was a girl floating above her bed, face up. She was pale, her purple hair reaching down well past her shoulders. It was... It was Raven. She had aged, not in a way that made her seem older, but more beautiful. She had to have been around 19 now. She looked to be in a deep, peaceful sleep... But... It was her.

"W-where is this?" Dick asked, feeling his legs quiver a bit from the shock. He couldn't believe it. They had found her.

"Here." Squeaked Changeling.

"What do you mean here?"

"I mean HERE. On the Watchtower. Nightwing... She's been here the entire time."


	3. Burners Part 3

-Dick-

She's here...

Dick couldn't believe it. How was she here? Why was she here? It couldn't be, but sure enough... The empath was before the three on screen, hovering above a hospital gurney.

"How do you know she's been here the whole time?" He asked, lifting a hand to his forehead. He felt a small layer of sweat begin to build.

"She… There's a document here," Garfield pulled it up, partially blocking the feed with the jpeg. It was a scan of a medical document, a bold red marking that read, 'CLASSIFIED' drawing Nightwing's eyes first. "Look. It says date she was admitted. That's two months after we split off."

Batwoman stood straight up, her hand shakily maneuvering to her mouth. Though she didn't know Raven, this betrayal was as big a shock to her as it was to the two other Orphans. "Why… Why would they do that? I mean, there has to be a reason right?" She asked, looking to Dick for answers. He had none.

Dick felt his hands trembling, his body quaking… He felt like a child, all the fears and anxieties of not knowing what was to happen next hitting him like a tidal wave. But then it all stopped... The anger began, the rage that boiled to a tipping point where all Nightwing knew was focus. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, then exhaled, reopening them to look back at the live video of their long lost friend.

"Where is she on base?" Dick asked, watching as Garfield clicked through some other files and schematics. Looks like her containment room was specifically built for her. Dick wondered how many members of the JL actually knew of her presence on the space station.

"Uh... Looks she's in some kind of room separate of the main medical bay."

Suddenly, the screen went black, and Dick heard the click of Wonder Woman's computer as it shut off. He turned with a frown to see Wonder Woman's door gaining another layer. A large, steel barrier shot up and blocked the three from leaving, "We've been made."

The three huddled together, crouching down to knee level as if part of some well-oiled dance routine: Completely coordinated and ready to act.

"Ideas?" Nightwing asked.

"Alright… Uh, Zeta? I mean, there's not much chance of getting out now if this is as serious as I think it is." Beast Boy offered.

Nightwing glanced to Batwoman. She blinked, looking down, then rose her head, "Yeah, fuck it. Zeta sounds good. I'm ready to die." Nightwing and Garfield smirked.

Nightwing thought for a moment. Zeta was risky. If the League felt truly threatened, they could forgo any 'no kill' rule and put them down. Plus, Zeta was basically terrorism. A last resort play, and this felt more last resort than anything else they had done in the years as the Orphans. They had to get a hold of Raven before the League could find out about Zeta though, "Do it."

Garfield nodded. He and Batwoman shot up, beginning to look about the corners of Wonder Woman's bedroom. Gar pointed towards the bed, and the two pushed it outwards, away from the wall. Garfield peeked behind the headboard, giving a thumbs up to Nightwing.

"Go." Nightwing said, strapping on his utility belt. He tossed his teammate's belts to each of them, walking towards the front door. He pressed his ear to the metallic surface. He couldn't hear much, but there were muffled sounds coming from outside. Armored Men mainly... From the stomping of boots Nightwing guessed there was 8 of them. A small fire team. This was strictly for apprehending the group and bringing them in. Nightwing smirked, realizing they weren't expecting a fight. He drew two gas mines from his belt, planting them against the door's frame. He then backed up, slipping behind a wall inside Wonder Woman's bedroom.

Batwoman joined him, snapping on her utility belt. She cracked her knuckles and popped her neck, stretching out for a fight. Dick handed her a small gas mask to breathe through, and he fastened one to himself as well.

Garfield pulled off the vent cover. It was a small thing, just there for letting air in. He morphed into a large rat, quickly slipping inside the vent. Once Garfield was gone, Nightwing turned his full attention to the steel door.

They waited...

…

The steel shutter dropped into a slit below, and soon the doors were open. Nightwing could see the solid white of the hallway's paint appear.

The troops were stacked on both sides of the door, filing in one after the other, rifles up and poised. As soon as the first stepped in though, he was greeted to a two-pop explosion of green gas.

The gas had two effects: One being that it instantly spurred the soldiers into a panic, "Gas!" The Team leader screamed, a few backed out, smart enough to know that they needed to mask up before breaching further. Three were left in the apartment with Nightwing and Batwoman, waving their hands to clear the gas from their mouths, coughing violently. They were disorganized, hazed and now blinded by the gas.

Nightwing was the first to jolt forward. He approached the one closest to him and went for a disarm. His left hand shot towards the handle and trigger, slipping a finger in to block the solider from making a blind fire. His right grabbed hold of the gun's barrel, getting control of the weapon. He then jolted the gun upwards, connecting the butt with the man's chin and sending him reeling back. Unfortunately for the security guard, he was strapped to the weapon. Nightwing used this to his advantage though, spinning the gun around so the strap tightened around the man's neck. He then was able to move him around, and he pushed towards a second troop who was well aware of Nightwing's approach.

He couldn't shoot without hitting his comrade though, so he held his fire. He tried to sidestep to get a better shot, but Nightwing anticipated his movements, and made sure there was barely a shot that wouldn't hit the soldier's teammate. Nightwing then tossed the man aside when he finally choked him out, going for the soldier who could see him, his back against the wall. Nightwing knocked the gun away from the man, pointing the barrel towards the room's wall. He let off a few sporadic rounds. Bean Bag rounds. Good, they didn't want to kill them.

He then lifted a strike to his throat, slamming his hand into his Larynx, closing it. The man gasped for air, then quickly passed out. He slumped down into a sitting position against the wall.

Nightwing turned to the last troop. In truth, the last few moves took merely seconds, but he was so in the zone it felt like whole minutes. The third man finally realized Nightwing was taking out his comrades, and poised his gun to shoot.

Batwoman was quick to rebut that though as she slammed her lighter, albeit strong frame into the guard. Her knees went up to her chest as she buckled them into the poor sod, forcing his helmeted head to smack against the wall and render the man unconscious.

With all three taken care of, the two fell back, slipping back behind the wall that led to her bedroom. The two caught their breath, building up the strength for another quick bout. Nightwing readied a smoke grenade.

"Get your masks on! Thermal goggles now!" It was a woman's voice. Wonder Woman's. She definitely seemed angered. Good.

There was a pause for a minute. Nightwing could hear the sound of equipment being shuffled around. They were preparing for another breach. "Let's talk about this Nightwing. No one else has to get hurt." She said. Nightwing peeked towards the door to see Wonder Woman standing in the silhouette, tossing her sheathed sword down.

"Did Cyborg know? I want to talk to him." Nightwing stated.

"Do you know? I don't know what you think you saw, but it's something that can be explained. We can all sit down and have a peaceful chat about this."

"Is that why you brought your militia? To talk?"

"Standard protocol. You broke into our Black Files, Nightwing. Did you think there wouldn't be a response?"

"This is more of a response to deal with what we saw if anything... You've had Raven here this whole time. Our fucking friend! You knew we were looking for her and you had her!" Nightwing fumed with a growl in his voice. He glanced back at Batwoman, who was already prepping a couple of bat-a-rangs for the next assault.

She didn't respond. Maybe she was guilty, maybe not... Nightwing didn't much care. He took another peek towards the front door.

She was gone.

"Shit!"

Nightwing ducked just as her fist smashed through the wall he was behind, the Amazonian goddess making a swipe for him. He rolled away as Batwoman threw her bat-a-rangs towards her grasping claws. They struck. One hit her hand, the other pinging off one of her famous gauntlets.

With her hand reeling back, Nightwing made his move. He reached for her wrist and pulled, lifting a foot to the wall to add some force. He pulled Wonder Woman through the wall, the wooden homey foundation crumbling, rolling along his back as he lifted a foot to press into her stomach before tossing her over him. She smacked into the wall opposite the destroyed one, making quite the imprint. She the toppled down on her upper back, but was quick to get back on her feet.

By that time though, the two were making for the exit. Nightwing tossed his smoke grenade into the hall, the explosion of gas filling the stark white hallway. Batwoman was right behind, and she dove in first to attack the rest of the guards, "Go! Get your girl! I'll keep em' busy."

No sense in arguing, Nightwing dashed forward, sliding between a guard's legs and then flipping over another, dodging shot after shot until he was finally clear. He was hoping that no one would turn to shoot him as he sprinted down the long hallway, but thankfully he never felt that spike of pain from a beanbag hitting his back. He turned the corner, completely slipping away from the group attacking Batwoman. Nightwing was sure she'd be ok. He had trained her after all, and he doubted they would try to kill her.

The real challenge would be extracting Raven. They had a location, and Garfield was executing Plan Zeta. The only challenge now was getting there.

-Garfield-

Garfield was thankful for the rat's ability of smell. It had led him this far, and the scent of medical equipment and blood was a strong one. Gar could imagine the JL had a number of wounds to treat on a near daily basis, but despite that morbid fact he was thankful for the trail of breadcrumbs that led him through the ventilation system.

Zeta had went off without a hitch. Either they were too occupied with Nightwing and Batwoman to realize Gar wasn't there, or they couldn't risk closing off the vents… being it was a Space Station after all. He was able to scurry at every angle, every nook, and even though it cost him time, he was glad he was able to put Zeta into place.

Now it was time for the real objective. Garfield could feel himself quiver right down to his paws, his pink rat tail curling and uncurling as he came closer and closer to the vent covering that led to the medical bay. He hoped she was still there… He hoped Kate and Nightwing were ok.

As he reached the steel cover, he rolled over on his back with his rat body. He then shifted back into his humanoid form, lifting his legs to his chest and then dropping them to kick the cover out.

He slid from the vent, pulling himself up on his feet as he looked about the large, yet empty medical wing. He saw some bandages bundled up in a trash can next to a gurney, and smirked as he realized he had found the cheese that had led him this far. If the video was accurate, Raven would be in a wing separate of the main bay. But where was it?

The bay was a large, open room. Beds were lined up alongside each other, each having a sheet between them to pull across and block view from other would be patients. There were no patients at the moment though, and Garfield was glad for that. He didn't want a fight with a League member. Across the wall was a series of windows that led out to deep space. Gar covered them with small mines, approaching a computer that monitored heart beats.

Garfield had only done this once before, but he took a pad that a doctor would plant on a patient's chest and patched it to his own. He then linked the wire to his utility belt and set it for auto detonate. His hands shook as he finalized the settings, realizing that if one thing went wrong then that would be it. He then lifted his hands, breathing in and out as he tried to calm himself. His heart rate would need to stay leveled.

Ok, now it was time to find Raven. Garfield examined his surroundings, reflecting on the teachings Nightwing gave to him. Rule one of any investigation was to find something out of place. Gar sat on the gurney, looking up and down the medical wing.

There was a blocky part of the room that had no practical purpose. It went into the room, and had no determinable features save for a solid white wall. Garfield approached it, feeling for a button or a console.

Click.

One of the panels pushed in with his exploring, and Garfield smirked as a door sunk inwards, then slid away. Garfield leaned against the glass door now presented to him, peeking through the glass.

There she was.

There was a code box at the side of the door, but Garfield didn't have time to do any wire work. He couldn't shift now, the random heart rates of animals would spark the detonator. He planted a mine on the door and slipped behind the wall, flinching for the coming blast.

BOOM.

It blew the door open, smoke filling the medical wing. The alarm finally sounded, giving the room a red overlay as he pushed past the unhinged glass door and stepped inside the secret room.

Raven hovered in a trance, her eyes closed shut. Her face was neutral, but she didn't look to be in pain or pleasure. Her skin was as pale as ever, but Gar couldn't help but pet her cheek, just to make sure she was real. As seen before, her hair was long… Longer than it had even been. It floated with her, her hair the same stark purple from their time as kids. She wasn't dressed in her leotard. Instead, she had on a light blue hospital gown. Gar felt a little embarrassed how exposed his friend was, so he tried to divert his eyes. But… It was her. Raven was alive.

He exhaled, realizing he must have been holding his breath for quite some time now, "It is you…" He whispered with a smile.

Now, to get her awake.

There were a number of wires connected to Raven. One was a drip feed, the other was delivering food into her stomach, and another was… Well, more personal. He withdrew them all, finally yanking the sedative feed free from her vein. Then he waited…

For some reason, he had expected the removal of all her medical hindrances to awaken her, yet she remained entranced. Gar thought for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. How does one awake someone from a coma?

Garfield grunted, then crawled onto the gurney with her. He lifted a hand, hesitating for a moment, then slapping her hard across the face.

Her eyes shot open, two solid black spheres of rage as she blinked up at him. The black magic subsided as she realized who it was, "Ugh, hello Beast Boy…" Raven groaned. She then blinked, lifting a weak hand to rub the sand from her eyes, "B-Beast Boy? Is that you?" Her eyes were adjusting. She hadn't opened them in four years.

Garfield laughed, feeling tears build in his eyes. He nodded quickly, pulling her up into a sitting position as she stopped hovering and sat gently on the gurney's mattress. She was staring at him, unsure of what she saw, "Y-you have stubble… And you're... Big." She said, looking him up and down in shock, "H-how long was I out?"

Garfield thought on that question. There was some rule he had seen on TV about not telling Coma patients details of their unconsciousness. He didn't want to lie to her though. He was sure she had been lied to numerous times already, "Heh, a long time dude… A long time." He then pulled her forward into a hug, holding her tight against his trembling frame. She was there. It was real. His friend was alive. Raven's arms lifted to push him away, her face still a mixture of confused worry and slight irritation.

"Where am I? What's going on?" She asked, a panic rising in her voice. She started to breathe in deep breaths, clenching her fingers around her mattress bedding.

Garfield turned to see her IV drip beginning to shake, a black layer of magic encasing around it. The drawers of the medicine cabinet rumbled in place, ready to burst outward. Her gurney rattled, shaking from underneath them as black magic surrounded it. She was having a panic attack.

Garfield took hold of her in another hug, burying her face in his shoulder, "Relax dude. We're in trouble right now, but you're freaking out. I need you to relax."

Raven nodded against him, clutching his uniform as she tried to slow her breathing, to contain the composure she hadn't held in years. Garfield could understand how hard it was for her. Firstly, she was finding out she was in a medical induced coma for years; and secondly, she hadn't used her powers in that long as well. Her powers were fighting for control of the weak empath, shaking and hyperventilating against Garfield.

Then he heard it. Her mantra, "Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…"

Garfield said it along with her, hoping it would help, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos."

The two chanted together, and Garfield watched as the room around her calmed. The containers stopped shaking, the bed stopped rattling… She was regaining control. Raven pushed Garfield off of her again, giving him a frown, "Ok, what the hells is going on?"

"We don't have time to explain." Nightwing said, crawling through the broken crack of the door frame.

Raven blinked, looking between the two. "W-who is that? Robin?" She asked, giving him the same bewildered treatment she gave Garfield.

"It's Nightwing now."

Raven paused, giving a small growl of annoyance, "If this is some kind of prank…"

"It's no prank, Rae." Garfield said, getting up from his bed. He knelt down with Nightwing, reconvening on their plan, "Where's Red?" Garfield asked.

"She covered my retreat. She'll be ok. They're using non-lethal rounds."

"Alright. Zeta is a go." He then pulled down his collar a bit to reveal his heart rate trigger, "And check this out."

Nightwing smirked and nodded, "Smart."

There was a loud kick to the fractured door. Garfield and Nightwing shot up, ready to fight if need be, "Alright! Everyone down on the f-" It was Cyborg. He froze in place when he saw Raven, his arm cannon out and ready… But when he saw Raven, his arm dropped. "N-no way… Raven?"

Raven looked as shocked to see Cyborg as he did her. Cyborg had changed the most out of all of them. This had to have solidified that this was no prank.

Cyborg didn't know. Good. "Cyborg? What happened to you?" She asked, lifting her hand to her mouth. She was being attacked on all sides with change after change. Garfield could pity that.

Cyborg was still in pause, looking straight at Raven. He then frowned, turning away from the group and pointing his cannon to someone the other three couldn't see, "The fuck is this?"

Nightwing pointed towards Raven, 'Stay with her. Keep Zeta ready."

Garfield nodded, taking the detonator in his hand. He pressed a clawed thumb against the button, ready to press it at a moment's notice. Despite being ready to die, Garfield still felt his hand shiver and quake with the tension building. Garfield was carrying death in his hand, and that was terrifying. Raven was staring at him, and she glanced down at the detonator with a worried look in her eyes, "W-what is that?"

"Insurance. Don't speak Rae."

Nightwing took a peek from the containment room, looking out towards the open medical bay. "Two more squads. Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and… Superman."

Superman spoke up first, "Listen Cyborg. I know how this may look, but I want you to know this isn't what it looks like. Raven was never put in any dang-

"No, she was just kept a prisoner! I asked you for help in finding her, CLARK… And you said that you couldn't find her. You were lying to my face!"

Wonder Woman spoke up,"Victor, please… Try to understand. Raven is dangerous-"

"Yeah, we all are! Why does she have to be imprisoned?!"

Martian Manhunter spoke in his famous monotone voice, "In your debrief of the Trigon incident, you mentioned how the demon brought about the end of the world. None of us can remember it, but with my telekinesis I was able to see the destruction she wrought. It was as powerful and frightening as you said, and I shared my vision of the incident with the rest of the round table. They were convinced that Raven needed to be contained."

"Contained!? So, you told everyone at the round table but me? You didn't even THINK to ask how her friends, the ones who fought with her, who spilled blood with her, felt!?" Cyborg raged, charging up his plasma cannon. His eyes were feral, and his mouth agape in a growl. Cyborg was furious... A blue light filled the void inside the hole that was once his hand, spiraling around itself, just waiting for the final push of being shot off. He looked ready to kill...

Garfield looked to Raven. She was staring down at her hands, settled in her lap. Her nails were obscenely long, and her fingers were a bit bony. She began to realize things about herself. Garfield could see it in her eyes. How long her hair was, how her body had developed more, how she had grown taller… Her eyes went wide, and she looked to Garfield, "Four years… I can sense it. I've been gone for four years." Tears began to swell in her eyes, and she lifted her hands to her face, trembling.

Then, something changed… Her brows furrowed, her fists clenched and she grit her teeth in anger. "Four years… They've kept me catatonic for four damned years…" She growled out, a deep, demonic voice overlaying her own. She lowered her head, her long hair casting a deep shadow over her face. Garfield knew what was going to happen next before he even saw it. Her father awoke inside her, her second pair of eyes opening with a blood red.

Raven began to rise from her bed, floating in the hospital gown.

WHOOSH

There was a flash of blue and red, and Superman was inside the room with them. There was a human sized hole where he broke through, the smashing of steel barely audible as the superhuman made a move to stop her.

Cyborg gritted his teeth, staying focused on crowd control, and Nightwing drew his Bat-a-rangs.

Garfield shot up, showing Superman the detonator, "Back off! This thing is wired to a number of explosives planted all through the Watchtower's air control ducts. You freakin' touch her dude, and we'll destroy this entire station.

Superman looked at Garfield, then glanced around his surroundings, "He's not lying!" Superman called out, backing up, "And the bombs are wired to his heart. If it rises or drops from normal levels, the bombs go off." He yelled to the other League members, lifting his hands defensively.

Nightwing stepped back into the room, "You are going to let us leave with Raven. You are going to let us leave with Batwoman... And you are going to stay the hell away from us."

Cyborg nodded, looking into the room, "Agreed."

Superman looked towards Cyborg with a frown. It was good to know where Cy's loyalties lied, even with his four years on the Justice League.

Raven grinned an evil smirk as she hovered over her bed, black, inky tentacles dipping from below her gown, "Oh hells yes…" Trigon, or whoever was in control of Raven at the moment, seemed to like the dire direction this had turned in. Superman glared back at her, fists at the ready.

Garfield lifted a hand to the floating Raven's leg, looking up at her. She seethed, glaring down at him with her deadly red eyes. Garfield smiled, "They're not worth it." He stated flatly, backing away from Superman to join Nightwing and Cyborg in the three-way grouping of protection they had.

Raven was silent for a moment. She took in a deep breath, and relaxed… Her second pair of eyes closed, her tentacles disappeared back beneath her gown, and she floated back down to the bed.

"You see, dude," Garfield spoke to Superman, "Raven doesn't want to destroy the world. She just wants to be with her friends."

"This imprisonment is going to end. Now." Nightwing declared.

"B-Beast Boy… Help me. I can't walk." Raven said, reaching for him. She was looking down at her lifeless legs, dangling over the gurney. Garfield was quick to answer, slipping her arm over his shoulder and helping her up. He then slipped another arm under her knees, carrying her. She was light... Garfield laid the detonator in her lap, giving her a smile.

"You know what to do if they try and take you from us?" He said, and Raven nodded. She took a hold of the detonator, keeping her thumb at the ready.

"I'm sorry… But we can't let you leave with her." Superman said, approaching the group slowly.

"Yes, you can."

Cyborg jumped, turning around to find The Batman himself standing right behind him. He must have come aboard because of all the drama. Cyborg then returned his cannon back to the unseen group as Nightwing turned to face his old mentor.

Batman approached the unhinged door, "Clark, I told you this would happen. These kids are too smart-"

"They may be smart, but they don't know what they're dealing with!" Superman rebutted, angrily pointing towards Raven.

"Do you? You and your team almost got the Watchtower destroyed tonight by lying to members of your team, allowing a security breach, and then making a half demon angry at you for… Justifiable reasons. I told you keeping Raven sedated was a bad idea, and you did it anyway."

"You knew?" Nightwing asked, shocked at the sudden revelation.

"I did. I didn't think it was my place to tell you, but I voiced my disapproval by leaving the League."

"That's why you left the league?" Cyborg asked, looking back between the group in the bay and Batman behind him.

"Yes… And other reasons... I am sorry Nightwing. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Seeing a humble Batman was quite a shock for Garfield. He had always heard that he was stern, steadfast and sometimes arrogant.

"Maybe I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Nightwing seethed, obviously trying to contain his anger. Another betrayal after another…

Batman's white eyes narrowed, looking towards Raven as she wearily lifted her eyes to him. They were dark and baggy, a sign of what kind of strain this whole experience had put on her. Batman said nothing and turned away, disappearing from their view.

"Stand down…" Superman muttered, "Bring out the red head. We are letting them go…"

-Dick-

The T-Jet looked pretty similar to how Dick remembered it, save for the color palette. Instead of the bright orange, it now was a stark black and pearl white, re-purposed by Cyborg for the League. It looked more militaristic than it had before, extra guns mounted on both sides of the five man ship. They were taking it now.

Dick had traded off with holding Raven, and what surprised him was how light she was in his arms. Dick wondered if she was aiding him by hovering... She pressed her hand against his broad chest, giving a soft muffled chuckle, "Jeez, you bulked up."

Dick laughed softly, nodding to Garfield who was with Cyborg and Batwoman."You seemed more surprised at Gar." Despite being alright, Kate had taken quite a beating from the JL's militia, and was being treated by the two. A black eye, cut forehead, and it looked like her arm was dislocated.

"Beast Boy was always so tiny… I feel like I missed a lot." Raven admitted.

"He goes by Changeling now, actually."

"Huh." She muttered, looking around the ship bay as the two walked towards the T-Jet. "Where's Starfire?"

Dick sighed. He wasn't looking forward to that question, and he turned his head away to try and steer the conversation elsewhere.

The empath was quick to pick up on it, "I-I'm sorry… So much is going on, I'm just curious." She said, looking back towards the others, "Who's the red head?"

"That's Batwoman, and you don't need to be sorry. She left… And we haven't heard from her since."

Raven nodded, satisfied with the temporary answer.

When the two reached Cyborg, Changeling and Batwoman, Garfield was washing the cut along Kate's face, cleaning the blood from the wound, "Gotta say dude, you take an ass kicking better than most." He chuckled, which was answered with a kick to the ankle, "Ow!"

Raven smirked, "I like her already." Kate blinked, looking up to Raven. It may have been all the fighting she had been in, but there was a light red coloring on Kate's cheeks. She smiled at Raven. Dick then set Raven down next to Kate, turning back to see Batman at the ship bay's entrance.

"I'll be back…"

The others nodded, looking towards Batman. The other League members on base were watching from a glass observation room above the bay. It must have been the ship bay's command tower. Nightwing walked over to Batman, crossing his arms as he awaited to hear what he had to say.

"I'm sorry this happened this way. The League has grown…"

"Arrogant?" Nightwing finished for him, glancing up to the group watching. He was sure Superman could hear them.

"Dick, I don't want this to end on bad terms with us, or even with the League. They made a mistake, and while they aren't willing to own it right now, they may call on you in the future to help fight the good fight. I don't want past transgressions to get in the way of that."

"Bruce… I don't know if I can even trust the League anymore. I mean, you can see what's happening. They're turning into some kind of military state. This is dangerous, Bruce."

"I know… And I'm working to remedy that." There was a silence between them. Nightwing turned back to look at his brothers in arms… His comrades… There was no way he was going to abandon them now. "What will you do?" Batman asked.

Nightwing thought for a long time. He glanced back at his team.

He looked at Garfield, how he had grown so much over the years… How he had gone from a punk kid to a street smart, well-trained hero with a growing intelligence that was still peppered with his surfer dude logic.

He looked to Cyborg… Well into adulthood, strong, and with the knowledge and willpower to change not only himself but the environment around him. He was an instrument of change, and with that change came a connection to his friends around him.

He looked to Batwoman. A new addition to the team, but as quick witted and battle hardened as some of his oldest allies. She was there to serve, no matter the cost.

And finally to Raven… Their long lost friend, who he felt guilty for abandoning in his mind long ago. She looked so shattered, yet… Brave. She would pull through this. Hell, she would become stronger...

He saw these men and women, all brought together again despite whatever their differences were in the past. He saw them as a symbol of justice in a growing unjust world. He saw them as Gods… He saw them as Titans.

"Dick?"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do, Bruce." Nightwing said with a smirk, "We're getting the band back together."


	4. Chinese Food

-Raven-

The tiny Chinese restaurant didn't have many customers, but Raven didn't mind. It was sort of serene in a way, wind chimes giving the fresh rain outside a melody. The tower could be seen in the distance, in all its damage and disarray. That was the reason they choose the place. They needed a plan to establish the Titans once again, and the biggest part was getting back the Tower.

It was about three AM when the group got a table. Beast Boy, or Changeling as he was now called, had yet to join them. He was investigating the tower. On the way over, a quick fly by revealed a few boats parked at the edge of the island. Their base, their home was… Occupied at the moment.

There was an elderly half-blind Chinese man who took their orders for them. Raven ordered a simple hot tea, and a chicken dish. She didn't want to admit it, but she was starving. The paste they had been pumping into her stomach gave her no satisfaction over the years. No, Raven desired real food. They others just had coffee.

"Sure he'll be alright?" Cyborg asked, taking a sip.

"He'll be fine. If Gar knows one thing more than I do, it's sneaking. He's probably scurrying around as a rat or something." Nightwing said, stirring sugar into his own coffee.

Raven couldn't help but look out the window to the city streets as the others talked. She felt so… Helpless. Like a newborn babe, like how she felt when she came from Azarath when she was so young… After all the time she had missed, Raven was now nineteen. Nineteen… She had missed most of her teenage years. She had lost so much. It frightened her.

The city streets were illuminated by lamp light, though they did little to hide the grime and darkness that covered her old home. Raven could feel it. Something sinister crept through the streets, an evil that nestled into it's foundation when the Titans weren't there to protect it. It made her feel guilty. Jump City had changed… On the flight over, she saw a number of things that stuck out:

First was the commercial area of the city. It had exploded. Neon painted the skies with color as the once quaint city jumped in height with a number of large, towering skyscrapers. The tallest stood in the middle of the new district. The words, 'Sionis Industries' sat atop the skyscraper's point, and Nightwing didn't deem happy with the revelation of the owner.

The next thing that stood out was the condition of the city itself. It had taken a nose dive, the streets were covered with litter and it looked near abandoned. The commercial area, while bright, didn't really give the city a sense of openness. Everyone who they saw walking about seemed to be in a rogue sort of ways. According to Cyborg, those in the Justice League were calling it the new Gotham, but Beast Boy and Nightwing seemed to disagree on that point.

Raven didn't want to judge these people right away. The Titans had changed, and it was yet to be seen if it was for the better or not. Maybe these people, while rougher around the edges, retained the heart and spirit she knew Jump CIty of having.

Speaking on the Titans, Raven couldn't help but feel consistently taken aback by surprise after surprise they threw at her:

Robin was quite the sight to see. She had to admit... He looked good. His chest had broadened, his chin squared, but he had this mature, elegant radiance that followed him. Back on the Watchtower, he had been wearing a new uniform. It was a sleek black body suit with a blue hawk like avian on his chest. He had his utility belt too, which was a dark grey compared to the bright yellow he wore before. The whole ensemble appealed to Raven's gothic sensibilities. At the moment though, he was in his civvies, blocking his eyes with a pair of dark sunglasses. But that was just the outside... In a world of darks and evils, Robin seemed to be a beacon of light to the empath. He seemed in so control with his emotions, and Raven knew how bottled up he used to keep them. He wasn't scared to show his anger, or his lighter side. Raven admired that about him, and honestly… Found him attractive. She flushed a bit at her realization, hiding the redness of her cheeks behind the hood of a hoodie Batwoman had let her borrow. Raven had looked at the boy once named Robin with longing before, but now with her adulthood taking the reins, she found the desire begin to grow beyond what she remembered from her youth.

Cyborg hadn't changed much. He still had his looks to him, but she was surprised at the adjustments he had made to himself. Cy had always been the type who encouraged embracing your flaws, no matter how strange they looked, and it had seemed now that Cyborg was denying that notion with the technological cloak he applied to himself. At the moment, he looked a normal adult man, not a sign of his robotic exterior on him. He was dressed in casual Jump City sportswear. It was good to see that smile again though, Raven noted. Cyborg was always the one who seemed to respect her the most during their time as Teen Titans. She found that the two had good chemistry together, and she relished in the memories of the times they rallied against the obnoxious outbursts of Beast Boy.

Beast Boy… Garfield had changed the most of their group. He looked so… Hardened. No longer was he the youthful, childish jokester, but instead he transformed himself into darker soul. Sure, he still carried himself with a sly, joke-spewing attitude, but she could sense that he carried a lot with him. He had this mental baggage that seemed to swell in his mind, and Raven couldn't help but think it made him seem… Dangerous, as if he didn't care for the rules anymore. Raven noted her fear of the man when he threatened to destroy all of the Watchtower. Raven was wise enough to see that the plan was foolish and borderline crazy upon reflection, but looking into Garfield she saw no regrets. He was stone, hammered into what Nightwing wished him to be. For that reason, she both hated and loved what Nightwing had done to him. She saw potential in this new creature, this new beast… Yet... She hoped some of that boy she knew, no matter how annoying he was, remained inside somewhere. She missed him. At least he had a girlfriend, or whatever Batwoman was.

Batwoman was new to Raven. She had revealed her real name as Kate to her rather easily. Raven remembered her saying, 'If you're good with my friends, then you are good with me.' And through that, Raven realized that was what Kate was all about: Loyalty. Through some small talk, Kate had revealed that she had been a service woman in training in a military academy. She didn't elaborate why she left, or was removed, but Raven got the sense that her need to serve outweighed any kind of future plan. She donned the persona of Batwoman, rather brashly Raven thought, and set to start fighting crime. She eventually ran into Garfield and Nightwing, who were already working in Gotham during that time as part of 'The Orphans' and was recruited into the team. Raven sensed something about her that seemed to make Kate uncomfortable. She seemed nervous around Raven's presence. It wasn't fear, Raven would have picked up on that… But it held Kate's tongue when talking to Raven, forcing her to give short, quick responses to Raven's questions.

Nightwing lifted his head, nodding towards the door, "Gar's back."

Raven looked back towards the front door, hearing the gentle jingle of the restaurant's bell. He was hiding his features with a hoodie, like Raven was, overcasting his green face and pointy ears with the hood. He had his crime fighting uniform underneath. It looked the same as his old one, but instead of purple there was grey. Raven also recalled all the military pockets and straps that he donned to his utility belt. He was as armed as Nightwing was. The problem wasn't his hardware though, it was just his appearance as the elf he was. At that moment, Raven felt bad for the shifter, realizing that he would have to put forth the extra effort if they were going to make this siege work.

The Titans had decided that they were going to stay in civvies and remain anonymous until they had taken control of Titan's Tower and reinstituted all it's features. That required secrecy from everyone, and Changeling was no exception.

Garfield shuffled next to Kate and Cyborg, who sat across from Nightwing and Raven. He peeked back and forth, looking between the other Titans, "It ain't good. Some hoods have set the place up as a sort of base. I managed to knock a few stragglers out, one weird one in your room Raven, but the majority of them are in the living room. They've uh, turned it into some kind of drug lab slash orgy…"

"Jeez…" Cyborg stated, running a hand across his bald head, "Remember when all we had to deal with were dudes obsessed with Daytime TV and light?" That ushered a snort from Changeling.

"What are they doing in my room?" Raven inquired, leaning forward. Hopefully nothing lewd, Raven thought.

"Some cult stuff… Kind of horrific if you ask me. There's a naked girl in there who is holding a severed stag head over a pool of blood. She was chanting something weird, I couldn't understand it." He paused for a moment, inhaling a breath, "I think it had something to do with Trigon."

"I've heard about these guys…" Nightwing chimed in, "They have a small presence in Gotham, but they call themselves 'The Sons and Daughters of Trigon.'"

Raven exhaled, looking down towards her tea. The steam was still rising off the smooth surface. Her reaction ushered a small silence from everyone, save Batwoman, who slurped on her coffee. Raven felt a comforting grip from Nightwing going across her shoulders. Her father… Again...

"Well," Garfield continued, "there was only one of em', and I managed to tie her up and gag her."

"Kinky." Batwoman teased.

Garfield just smirked,"I locked the door, so there shouldn't be anyone finding her."

"Good." Nightwing nodded. Raven was surprised how gung ho Nightwing's Orphans were. Both Changeling and Batwoman just did what he asked, and seemed to have a connection with each other on more than a physical level. It was like they could read each other, anticipate each other's actions…

"What about my room?" Cyborg asked, "I had some leftover tech in there I could still use…"

"Completely worked over. I didn't see much left over, dude. Your slab is still there, heh…" Changeling smirked. Cyborg looked disappointed, leaning against his palm.

"Same for my room?" Asked Nightwing.

Garfield nodded, "Yeah, cleaned out."

"I figured. Got an idea who's running the joint?"

"Well, it's not the Trigon guys… I think that chick was like a loner in the gang or something. By the tags, I think these guys go by the 'Jump Jesters.' They're a Joker themed gang. Mostly kids smoking and screwin' around though. I think they're just trying to intimidate the other scamps out here-"

The old man approached the group, refilling Raven's tea cup. Garfield lowered his hood, trying to hide his face from the man. The poor elder took their silence as a cue to leave them be, and quietly waddled off after a polite nod from Raven.

"Oh, I forgot BB… I mean Change- Gar… Whatever." Cyborg reached into his pocket, producing two rings that sat in his palm, "If we're gonna do this stealth thing, we're gonna do it right." He set the rings in Garfield's gloved hand.

Gar inspected them, then drew his gloves off to put a ring on each ring finger. He then looked to Cyborg for guidance, and Cyborg pressed his fists together. Garfield followed by instruction, and soon his face was alight. When he stopped illuminating, Garfield lifted his head to reveal… He was a normal blonde haired kid. No spikey ears, no green skin, no protruding tooth...

Garfield reached to his face, somewhat stunned. He lifted a spoon to look at his reflection, his eyes wide, "W-whoa…"

Batwoman smirked, giving him a nudge, "Eh, I think the green is better… But it gets the job done. Plus you're blonde now, ew…" She teased, running a hand through his new dirty gold locks.

Changeling did the same, "Thank you, Cyborg." Cyborg didn't know how to respond. Raven figured he didn't expect Changeling to have that kind of reaction, but Raven could understand it. Garfield was never bashful about his green, goblin-like appearance, but seeing a normal kid reflected in that spoon, for the first time in his life he had a taste of the other side.

"So… Game plan?" Nightwing asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well…" Batwoman leaned back, planting her hands together in front of her face, "You don't want the city to know the Titans are back yet. There are too many high ups that would take advantage of your lack of prep in coming back. If we hit the tower, we gotta make it look like a rival gang attack. Just some punks taking territory."

Nightwing smiled, "You're a Titan too Batwoman. If you want it. You've proven yourself to me, that's for damn sure."

Batwoman flushed a bit, scratching the back of her head.

"Sounds like we need to visit a department store." Garfield chimed in, smirking.

Nightwing nodded back with his own smirk, "Oh, hell yes…"

Cyborg and Raven looked at each other. Raven was slowly coming to the realization that The Orphans just might be a little crazy, "Sooo… Why would we need to go to a department store?" Raven asked.

"Bats and masks, dude!" Garfield said, pattering on the table with a little drum roll, "We gotta look like a gang. Like the Warriors or somethin'."

"Come out to plaaaay.~" Batwoman said with a snicker, taking a gulp of her cooling coffee.


	5. Tower of Ruin

-Victor-

Raven looked so delicate, especially as she wobbled out of the passenger seat of the T-Car. Her hair danced gently in the evening wind, that purple tint glowing under a flicking street lamp. Victor lifted his head from the hood to watch her, peeking around the car, "How ya doin' Rae?" He was working on implementing the T-Ship's cloaking system into the T-Car. With the T-Car running on the same software as the T-Jet, it should be a simple upgrade. The car was already produced with cloaking and shape-changing in mind, Victor just didn't see a use for it back when they were the Teen Titans. Now though, it was different...

"Alright… I've been able to use my magic to heal my legs, but it's slow going. The bones need time to regain their strength." She planted a hand on the car's surface, taking her first few wobbling steps towards Victor at the front. Her pale legs were shakey and thin. She'd need to build up her muscle again as well, if she were going to get in crime fighting condition. At least with the ideas Nightwing had...

She had a determined looked upon her face, and Cy had to admit that he was impressed. This girl, who had been basically in a coma for four years, was walking her first night out of said coma. Cy always knew that Raven had strength beyond the physical. If the empath wanted to put her mind to anything, she'd do it. It was that kind of motivation that was valuable to a team.

"Damn girl, I'm impressed… You look drunk rather than a coma victim." He said with a smirk, taking a rag and wiping some of the electric fluid that stained his hands.

"A victim of your team by the way." She added, giving him a smirk back.

"Yeah…" He said, lowering his gaze. Victor felt guilty. Raven was right under his nose the entire time, and he didn't even realize. Hell, he did a lot of his work in the tower in that medical wing, so he felt as if he had no excuse. She should be angry at him. She should have roped him in with the sins of the League and left him behind.

"Hey, I was kidding." She said, lifting a hand to his shoulder, "You didn't know."

"Still. I was there… I should have known something was up. Hell, Gar was able to find you with five minutes of snooping around the med wing. I couldn't find you in four years, and you were within fucking walking distance."

Raven continued to try and uplift him, "Garfield was trained by Robin those four years I was out too. And Robin trained under the world's greatest detective. Plus he's got a nose like a dog... " She said, looking down towards the engine he was working on as if she was still trying to process it herself. "He's changed quite a bit from when I knew him…"

Cyborg smirked, "Still can't get used to it, huh?"

Raven sighed, giving a wince as she leaned against the T-Car, "Not at all… It's… I don't know how I feel about the team. What did you know about 'The Orphans?' How did they get a name like that anyway?" She allowed herself to sit up on the edge of the T-Car, balancing between open pavement and the engine inside.

"They sure as hell didn't choose it. Back when we all split up, lanky ol' Beasty followed Robin to Gotham when he started his solo career. Gar said it was because of an acting job, but I think he just wanted to keep helping people. At first, Robin said no. He was serious about going solo."

"I remember the last days…" Raven said, looking down, "How he said he wanted to make a difference elsewhere. How Jump was becoming stale."

"Remember how upset Star was?" Cyborg asked, loosening a nut on the propulsion cover. He'd have to go through it to get to the car's computer systems.

"Yeah…" She whispered. Victor remembered how devastated Starfire was when Nightwing told her to stay in Jump City. The girl loved him, but Nightwing was too dead set in his ways. Arrogant as always, and blind to those around him. Save for criminals of course… Maybe Starfire needed to become some kind of villain to get the boy wonder to notice her. Then again, Star seemed happy with Speedy… And that other guy.

"Where did you go anyways?" Victor asked, peeking up at her curiously, "I mean, I know you eventually ended up getting snagged by the League, but what were you doing?"

"Well, I actually can't remember how I got caught… I was in Metropolis though."

"Really? Why?" Victor was taken aback. She might have been kidnapped by Supes himself.

"I didn't… Metropolis has this look, you know. Like it can elevate you. I figured if I was going to be without friends again, I'd embrace a change of… Happy scenery." She grimaced at the word. Victor couldn't help but give a snort.

"Well, you know Gar… He pestered and pestered about sticking with Robin. Eventually Robin just buckled, but not before shaping Garfield into his own little soldier." Victor made sure the cover was clean before setting it down, might as well wipe up some of the fluids sprinkled around the core and engine. Raven didn't have a response for him anyway.

"He sure isn't a boy anymore." Raven muttered.

That seemed to bring a silence out from the two. Cy could hear the distant traffic against a wet, darkened street. Raven crossed her arms, giving a shiver at the cold… Or maybe it was something else, "It bothers you, don't it?" He asked.

"I just…" Raven said, looking out towards the street, "Garfield is here, but he's not. It's like the kid I knew died."

Cyborg felt for the girl. In fact, Victor could tell something had started to change inside Garfield with every time the two met. It started with the toothy smile slowly fading, how his tint seemed paler, how the scars kept piling on to the point where he looked near corpse like at times. It reminded Cy of the time when Gar got infected with a Chemical compound that altered his DNA. He wasn't himself anymore... Sure, Garfield remained as goofy, loyal and cheesy as ever, but something rotten had formed inside him. "Gotham does that to people." Cyborg admitted. He hated the city for it. It had ruined his little buddy.

"And Nightwing…" She breathed.

"You like?" Cyborg teased, liking the change of subject, giving a chuckle as he dived down into his engine. He hoisted the latch off the core, watching as it flooded the engine with it's electricity. It gave the electric powered engine a jolt, which cyborg absorbed through his hand. He flipped a switch so that the nanites filled the propulsion core, then moved his hand down between the coolant tubes to find the computer.

"I'm not going to justify that with a response." Raven muttered. Her tone was returning to that empathic monotone he recognized so well, and Cyborg felt good reliving these little banters.

"Anyway, once the two started making rounds as new crime fighters in Gotham, they started building a small rep within the League. I dunno who dropped the 'Orphans' name first, but I think it was someone who knew Nightwing's identity. Unfortunately, it stuck... They didn't want a team name cause they were operating strictly confidential. Name's build bigger reps than rumors. Despite that, the big table gave them both small jobs to do around Gotham, and grew impressed with the results. Soon after, Batwoman joined up."

"She's interesting." Raven said, looking back towards the twenty four hour department store where the three went giddly shopping. It was almost sinister, Cyborg recalled, how they thought of ideas how to roleplay a gang the most ruthlessly. Fortunately, they drew the line at being covered in fake blood.

"Yeah, I don't know much about her. Cute as hell though." Victor admitted.

Raven turned to him, giving the robot a frown, "That all you think about? Chicks and cars?"

"Hey, I'm only human."

"Well, you certainly look more that way now."

Cyborg wasn't sure he liked her tone, "What does that mean?"

Raven lifted her hands defensively, "I'm sorry… That came out wrong. I just remember you being all about acceptance of who you are, and that inspired me when I was younger. Your little self esteem boosts made me stay on the team, remember? With this cloak… It's like you're fighting who you are."

"Who I was…" Cyborg responded, "I know you don't mean anything by it, but you gotta understand that this thing helps me blend in. You didn't get stares like I did when I had my clunky form. Plus, we gotta stay like this for the time being anyway. Nightwing seems to think revealing that we're back in town would be bad for all these new entities that have sprung up in Jump. It's better to get the drop on em'."

"I know… And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." She said softly, looking rather ashamed.

Cyborg didn't want that. He set the computer down to where it was easily accessible, then walked towards her. She looked like a tiny thing, but he huddled up next to her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling the goth into a soft hug. Surprisingly, she accepted it, burying her face into his chest. Her hands pawed up around him, holding his large frame as held her tight. Cyborg began to feel a cool wetness build on his shirt, "You crying?"

"You can feel that? Goddess, this new body is amazing." She huffed out, parting back to look up at him. Her eyes still carried tears, but with the smile on her face he could see she was fighting them, "I'm so glad you're all back in my life." She whispered, resting her head against him, "You know… I felt the time."

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"Those four years… I know a lot of people say that it feels like a long nap, but I felt it. I thought I was dead. I mourned myself, figuring I'd be stuck in my personal limbo forever... But you all came for me. You all found me and I love you guys for it." She said with a whisper, holding herself up by her wobbling legs.

Cyborg felt something choke inside him. Maybe it was mechanical, or a glitch, but he couldn't help but quiver. He held her tight, feeling his body start to warm against her. He lifted a hand to the back of her head, running his large fingers through her long hair.

"You guys alright?" Garfield asked. Raven pushed herself away, wiping away her tears. Victor smiled.

"Good, you're walking again." Nightwing said with a smile, carrying a shopping bag.

"You guys are gonna go act like gangsters, and yet you bought everything you need?" Victor asked, lifting his brows.

"Of course dude… We ain't criminals."

-Raven-

Raven looked up towards the tower as the T-Jet skimmed the waters. Cyborg had installed some kind of stealth system inside it, and was able to coast along the water's surface as the group came up on the shores of the Tower's small island. The jet was surprisingly smooth as it traversed over the waters by mere feet. Raven could swear she could see some of the sea life below. Maybe Aqualad was somewhere down there...

Looking up at the tower, it seemed smaller. Most of the windows were smashed, and a number of small graffiti pieces were drawn on the solid walls of the tower. The lights would usually give the tower a commanding presence, but she could see from outside the tower that there was no power inside. At the top though, where the living room was, there seemed to be an orange glow of a fire. Someone was definitely squatting in their ruined, broken shell of a tower.

The Ship finally came to a stop at the shore. It did a slow turn until it was partially resting against the sand and then settled the rest of the ship into the waters. The five cockpits popped open, each Titan filing out to group at the sand bank. Raven was the last out, but thankfully Victor was there to help her down.

Nightwing took a knee, and Garfield and Kate followed as if on cue, "Alright. Cyborg, you and Raven hang back."

Raven turned towards Nightwing with a frown. He wasn't going to include her? Cyborg must have thought the same thing, because he quickly turned to Nightwing with a, "What?!"

"Keep it down. Listen. I need you to watch after Raven. She may be walking now, but she by no means is combat ready, and I don't feel comfortable letting her run into this gang hide out after being out of commision for years." Nightwing then turned to her. It was almost as if he forgot she was there, "No offense."

"Cides, we've done stuff like this before," Added Garfield, "We got like... a system."

"Exactly. Batwoman, Changeling and I do this kind of thing all the time. You know this." Nightwing said to Cyborg.

Raven was personally offended that Nightwing didn't think she could handle herself, but he was right. Raven was in no shape for combat, and she by no means knew how the Orphans did things like this, "He's right Cy." Raven said supportively, "It's alright. You and I can watch the perimeter just in case any more of them show up."

Cyborg didn't seem satisfied. He crossed his arms, giving a huff.

"Alright. Codenames?" Batwoman asked, pulling on her hocky mask. It was a white mask with a red V painted on it. Did… Did she put the design on before leaving the store?

"You got it, Red." Garfield said, putting on a goofy looking chicken mask. He had sports letterman jacket to go with it. Gar said it was based on some video game he liked, but Raven couldn't help but tune out when he was rambling about it in the Jet.

"Let's go." Nightwing concluded, pulling on cheap Batman mask. Raven had to admit that was clever.

Raven watched as they got ready, each clutching a wooden baseball bat. Garfield gave a few test swings, flinging the bat like a baseball player. Nightwing was twisting and swinging it around like it was a Katana. Batwoman just used it to help her stretch. She was damn flexible too... "You sure those won't kill somebody?" Raven asked, peeking from the window.

"Sure Purple, they ain't steel." Garfield said, giving the bat a pat with his hand. He still had Cy's cloak on. A good thing too, cause Raven could sense his dog-like ears twitching with excitement.

Raven didn't seem so convinced. She huffed, settling into the sand as she watched the three approach the front entrance of the tower. It was completely unprotected. Usually, some kind of turret system would pop up and ask for identification, but Raven figured those power cells had ran out years ago. These guys must have been small time, otherwise they would have known better to protect the front door. She waited until they disappeared into the darkness, "They seem to know what they're doing." Raven mumbled.

"They seem too eager. The reason I wanted to come was to make sure they didn't kill anyone."

"Nightwing and Batwoman have enough self control. I sense a recklessness in Beast Boy though."

"Codenames, remember?"

"Ugh, fine. In Green."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know… I would be wary of him, that's all."

-Dick-

Garfield had done good work. The three had moved floor to floor, clearing the basement level and then going from room to room. The garage had been cleaned out, as well as the many storage rooms that were spread along the tower's length. Computer room was scrapped, but the training room was thankfully intact. Probably in use by the gang squatting here. That was where they found their first captured Jester.

"This one of the three you took out?" Nightwing asked.

"Yeah."

Nightwing decided to look the thug over. He was unconscious, tied by his wrists and ankles and laying face first. He rolled him on his back, pulling the Joker mask up off his face. He looked older, gruff… There was a small tear drop under his eye. Dick looked along his neck for the trademark prison Joker tats. Some of Joker's men were crazy enough to join the madman in Arkham. A lot of them could be distinguished by their brand of loyalty on their neck. Usually a Joker card, or something similar... Thankfully, this punk lacked one.

What he did have was a black mask tattooed against his arm, "Hm, one of Sionis' guys. Well, at least he used to be a part of them." Black Mask. Nightwing had seen the intimidating tower on their way into Jump City. He had heard rumblings that Mask's underworld was moving outside of Gotham, but he didn't know it was this extensive.

"He could be a spy, checkin' out the tower. I'm tellin' ya Blue, these guys upstairs are kids. I'm betting most are still in high school." Garfield noted.

"Well, how did this actual thug get in with them?"

"Maybe he's a connection," Batwoman offered.

"That wouldn't explain why he's sporting Jester gear. No, I think he's doin' what we're doin.'"

"That's unsettling." Garfield said, kneeling down. He picked up the piece the Jester was carrying when Garfield knocked him out. Gar disassembled the gun, withdrawing the clip and then snapping off the slide.

"Let's keep moving." Nightwing stated, standing up.

The three moved silently floor to floor, finally reaching the top. Nightwing could hear the cries and laughing coming from their living room. There was some music playing as well… Muffled Hip Hop. He peeked around the corner of the stairwell, looking to see seven gangsters crowded around a bonfire set where the couch was. The bonfire seemed to be the only light emanating from the room. Their TV was smashed, along with the many windows that lined their living room. The connecting kitchen was torn up, fridge knocked over and general kitchen area being used for the processing of cocaine and meth.

There was one sitting on their treasured couch, a girl dressed up like a cheap Harley Quinn knock off. She had her hair done up in pony tails and was wearing a 'sexy clown' Halloween costume. She was riding him slowly, giving a lewd smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Like dis pumpkin?" She asked, bucking into his groin.

The man pushed her back, "It's puddin'! Get it right ya skank. You wanna stay with tha Jesters?" He threatened, taking her a hold of her by the neck.

"S-sorry puddin'!" She corrected, a look of fear in her eyes.

Nightwing sighed, turning back to lean against the inside of the stairwell. He caught sight of Batwoman planting a mocking hand on her mask covered face, shaking her head. Nightwing smirked from underneath his mask, nodding them inside.

The three stuck to the shadows, creeping along where the licks of the flames had no grasp. There was a lone Jester working at a lab at the side of the main room. He was cooking the product, then mixing the finished coke in with whatever he could mix in a package. Baking soda or something... Nightwing pointed towards him and nodded to Batwoman. She nodded, approaching him from behind. Nightwing and Changeling then moved out, taking two separate spots with good views of the living room.

From his spot, Nightwing watched as a solitary arm crept from the shadows and encircled around the Jester's neck, choking him. He erratically reached for his neck, but it was too late. He then disappeared into the shadows, only a soft gulp of air signaling he was ever there. No one even noticed.

There were six now, four men and two ladies. One of the Jesters was still occupied with his Harley Quinn knock off, but the others were crowded around the fire, taking hits off their pipes. Nightwing didn't see an approach that could continue their shadowy ways.

He clenched his fist and pushed forward, authorizing the three to go hard. Garfield was the first to respond. He jumped ahead, bat in hand and quickly darted to the one getting a Harley Quinn ride. He hoisted his bat up, and swung hard to the back of his head, cracking the wooden bat against the boy's skull. It was rough. Perhaps too rough...

And like that, he was out. He fell against the girl's chest, completely knocked from consciousness. A screaming 'Harley' jumping up from him, trying to cover herself. She darted for what clothes she had on the ground, while Nightwing and Batwoman proceeded with the others.

They were delayed with their… High, so Nightwing had an easy time putting them on the ground. One Jester stood up, turning to see his boss slumped over on the floor. Nightwing connected with his ankle, tripping the boy before lifting his elbow and smashing it into another's face. The Jester reeled back, covering his broken nose before falling back on the couch.

Batwoman lifted her bat and went towards another, who was already flinching away. She smashed her bat into his chest, breaking it in half. She flung the half-bat at the Jester trying to get his bearings on the couch before turning her attention towards another. She then tossed her body towards the last man, connecting her knees into his chest and tackling him to the ground.

One of the women, dressed like a clown like the others, came up behind Kate and grabbed her by her hair, "You bitch!" She called out, only to be surprised as the hair was pulled away from her. Batwoman turned to smile at the girl, spinning herself around to trip her. She collapsed to the floor with a thud, her head hitting the ground hard. She was out.

Garfield found one of the beaten Jesters crawling on the floor towards a bottle, reaching for it. He slipped his bat around his throat, pulling up, "Fuck you doin'? This place is ours now." He growled, pulling up. A few more inches and he would break his neck. Nightwing had to stop him, yet stay in character.

"Green, let em' go. He gets the picture. I don't want no bodies stinkin' up our new spot." Nightwing said, trying to call the Beast back.

Gar nodded, releasing the straining Jester as his tears smeared the clown makeup sloppily pasted on his face. He then released him, the crook gasping for breath. Gar then spit on the thug's back, "Be sure to pick yer buddies up on the way out, else they're dead." Gar threatened, giving him a kick to the bottom. He nodded, picking up the unconscious girl beside him. The others hoisted up their leader, following suit.

The gang scurried off quickly, one even crying. Garfield was right. They were just kids… Was this needed? Did Nightwing make a wrong call? Maybe this place wasn't so much like Gotham after all. Harley was still picking up clothes on her way out the door, but they all soon disappeared into the darkness. Nightwing gave a sigh, dropping his bat on the ground.

"Were you tryin' to kill him, Green?" Nightwing said to Garfield. He was getting too reckless, letting himself inch closer and closer to a point of no return. Dick wasn't about to have a death on his hands.

"No…" Garfield muttered, tossing the mask down to the ground, "I was jus'... bein' in character. I was waitin' for you to call me back."

"Green, put your mask back-

"Yeah, yeah…" Garfield mumbled, tossing a wave towards Nightwing in defiance. He then started to walk away, making his way towards the dark hallway that led towards their old rooms. This was new. Garfield never defied his orders, and Nightwing wasn't about to let him get away with it. A good commander reigns in his troops, that's what he learned from the Bat.

Nightwing made a move to go after him, but Batwoman lifted a hand and stopped him, "Give him some time. Drill later…" Kate whispered, "A lot has happened, ya know?"

Nightwing sighed, "Yeah…" Maybe Batwoman was right. Maybe too much had changed...

-Raven-

Raven's room was a mess. She walked about the walls, looking over the crude, somewhat terrifying illustrations of her and her father. Some were drawn in chalk, others in blood... It seemed the Orphans were right about a cult being interested in her, and the foreboding way they seemed to present themselves left Raven a little uncomfortable. She would have to find these people. Find them and put a stop to them.

Raven made her way over to the small shrine dedicated to Trigon. It was a blood pit, like Garfield had said. There was a stag head sitting inside. The Jesters had taken their comrades out of the other rooms on their way out. Raven could still see their rickety boat speeding towards the shore line. Raven bent over with a grimace, picking up the blood soaked animal head by the antlers. Thank the Goddess she didn't have to touch its flesh. She then walked towards one of her smashed windows, tossing the head down to the ground below. She didn't watch to see it smash at the base of the tower, but she could hear it.

She then came back to the blood pit, giving a sigh as she hoisted it up. Her muscles were still weak, so she couldn't help but grunt and wobble as she tried to make her way to their bathroom. She didn't even want to think of what that looked like.

"Let me help you." Kate said, stepping into the room with her. She was dressed much more casually. She lacked her wig, and was sporting a black tank top. Her wig was gone, replaced with her short military cut. She had a masculine look to her at the moment, something which went against her femininity she displayed in battle and out in the field. It made Raven smile that this girl was still surprising her.

"Thanks." Raven said, the two making their way for the bathroom out in the hall. For the moment, Cyborg had rigged the T-Jet to generate some spare power inside the tower's systems. So, at least the emergency lights were on, giving a faint dim to their surroundings.

"You know, we could have gotten rid of the shrine. I heard you're sensitive about this stuff." Kate said, giving a frown towards the bubbling blood. It almost seemed like something would jump out of it at any moment.

"I'm not 'sensitive' about anything. I hate my father, there's no other way to say it." Raven said, looking towards Kate. She had deep green eyes, something that rivaled Garfield's in terms of an earthy tone to them. Raven decided she liked them.

"Oh, sorry." Kate said, somewhat flushed. Kate seemed so nervous around Raven. What was it? Did she fear the empath? Raven wasn't offended, but she couldn't help but feel frustrated that she was having a hard time connecting with this girl. Then again, Raven had a hard time connecting with everybody… This night was different. A flurry of emotions had filled this empty void she had been protecting in her coma-laden state, and when she was reconnected with those she held most dear to her, they all came bursting forth.

But was there a reason to be afraid of Raven? Besides stories of her nearly ending the world, what did Batwoman know of the half-demon? For all Raven knew, this girl only knew her as a coma induced comrade of times gone by. What did this powerful woman see in Raven to be scared of?

"No need to be." Raven smiled towards the girl. She figured she wouldn't try to push her away. She wanted Kate to feel comfortable with her. Besides, the two had a similar 'dark' style, and Raven liked that about her. It maybe have been a petty reason, but if she was going to surround herself with friends after years of being lost in the void, she could do a lot worse than someone she couldn't relate to. If her friends felt safe around this 'Batwoman,' then Raven would try to be as well, "Tell me about yourself Kate. I've only heard what Beast- Changeling says of you."

"Hopefully they're good things." She smirked.

"He said you were in the military."

"For a while, yeah." Kate said. Her eyes were focused on the blood, but she wasn't looking at it with disgust, "I left, but I feel like I got a taste of what the battlefield would be like with Gotham, ya know?"

"Is it really that bad?" Raven asked.

The two finally stumbled into the bathroom. There was something… Terrible bubbling in the sink, so the two tipped the large cauldron over into the tub. Thankfully, the blood seeped down the drain, the sound of it filling the plumbing's pipes a comforting one. Perhaps they wouldn't have to destroy most the tower to fix it, "I wanna say no." Kate admitted, watching the blood disappear, "But I'd be lying. It's only really a hellhole at night, but that's like half of your life, ya know?"

"Yeah." Raven said, setting the blood stained pot into the tub. She wiped her hands on the hoodie she was wearing, giving a grimace. "Robin used to talk of what kind of place it was, but now in comparison Gotham doesn't seem so bad to…" She glanced at the evil looking mixture bubbling in the sink, "That…"

Kate laughed, "Yeah, this place is a dump. It'll take weeks to get everything together."

"But we're back." Raven said with a genuine smile, "And that's all that matters."

"Some more than others…" Kate muttered, looking out towards the hallway. She crossed her arms, suddenly becoming much more solemn.

"What do you mean?" Asked Raven, lifting a brow to the girl.

Kate hesitated, "I think Garfield needs someone to talk to."


	6. Sunrise

[Hey all! I just wanted to say thank you for all the great reviews you've been sending me. I appreciate any criticism or thoughts on the story, and would love to hear more. :)

I'm gonna clear a few things up here as well: The canon of this story is set post the Teen Titans cartoon show, but I'm going to ignore the comic that supplemented the series. Mainly because I don't remember every detail from that run, and I have ideas for the characters that were kind of haphazardly thrown into those books. The Justice League/Unlimited show is SOMEWHAT canon, but I'll say loose canon just to save face if I make any continuity errors. Besides, this takes place four years after that show as well, so I can take liberties if I want.

Anyway, that's all! Enjoy this rather small character driven chapter.

By the way, Starfire IS coming. I'm not ignoring her. ;)]

-Raven-

It didn't take long to find him. Raven figured that the boy who had dedicated so much to this night would want to see the morning, so she couldn't help but smile as she came up on the roof to find him sitting on the edge of the tower. The orange of the sun was just starting to creep across the horizon, and it gave Garfield a silhouette.

It was quiet… Raven guessed it was nearly six o'clock, but she was far from tired. Raven wondered if she would ever sleep again; after all, she had already gotten an abundance of sleep out of her system.

For the moment, Raven just watched Garfield as he stared out towards the coming sun rise, leaning against the door frame of the roof access. He had taken his cloak rings off. Raven could make out the sharp point of… Well, at least one of his ears. She frowned, wondering how he had lost the other.

Raven then stepped gently onto the roof. She padded softly across the stretch of steel that led to him. Her gait had become steady again, and she seemed to have a good bit of her strength back. Garfield awaited in the distance. She remembered his ears, his nose… It wouldn't be long until-

"I figured it would be you to come see me." He muttered, slipping one of his ear buds from his ear. He pressed a button on his phone, looking back at her with a warm smile.

"Your teammates are worried." Raven said, settling down next to him. She let her legs dangle with his, looking down over the small bump of land that held their tower. Raven hadn't been up atop the tower in a long time, and she guessed it showed, "Whoa…" She muttered, getting used to the height of the large building.

"You're my teammate too. Are you worried?" Gar asked, running a hand through his green locks. He glanced over to her, locking eyes.

"Of course I am."

"They're worried I'm goin' crazy. That I'm gonna kill someone." Garfield said, looking back out over the horizon. Raven studied him curiously. Garfield had aged since she last saw him, that was true, but she really started to notice how handsome he had gotten… In his own little way. He wasn't a painting like Nightwing was, but he had this boyish, rugged looks to him that Raven liked. He didn't look like a child anymore. No, this was a man before her. He almost looked like a different person.

"You're not crazy, Garfield." She lifted a hand gently to his cheek, giving his stubble a light scratch, "You're just scruffy."

Gar snickered, pushing her hand away, "Quit it. I'm being serious..."

She smiled at her little tease, taking his hand in her own, looking over the long claw-like nails that extended into sharp points, "These are new. Did you file them like that or…" She pressed a thumb into one of them, ignoring the sharp pain that accompanied his claw.

"Nah, they naturally started doin' that." He said, scooting towards her. Raven let go of his hand, looking over the sky as the top of the sun peered between the many new skyscrapers of Jump City. "It's the Beast again."

"You think so?" Raven asked, lifting a brow to him. He hadn't mentioned 'The Beast' since their days as teens. "How do you know?"

"I can feel it." He said, lifting a hand to his chest. He breathed in, exhaling with a soft growl that didn't seem unnatural. It was like it was a part of him now, only on the outside, "Can't ya sense it?" Garfield asked, taking her by her hand. Raven jumped a bit, watching as he guided her palm to his chest. "I remember you could heal us with yer magic stuff. Can you do it for me?"

"What do you mean?" Raven asked gently. She could feel the build up of his hair underneath his T-Shirt. It wasn't natural chest hair… He was growing fur, and a lot of it.

"I've got this hurt inside me… And it won't go away." He said with a slight crack in his voice. She felt him now, the real him… And he wasn't the big man she saw before her. He was a kid again, a scared 14 year old punk who wasn't ready to grow up so fast.

"Garfield… You're talking about a different kind of hurt from normal pain." She paused, wondering if she should really ask, "What happened in Gotham?"

Gar seemed to hesitate, letting her hand drop free. He leaned forward, planting his elbows to his knees as the wind blew through his shaggy hair, giving it a bit of life, "It didn't start out bad… I mean, with me. It was little things, ya know? Someone getting killed during a robbery, or someone killing themselves…" Garfield sighed.

Raven was shocked. He had already seen so much, and he was only eighteen. She allowed him to continue… "Gotham is a hard city, and the people there… They don't hesitate to end it all. It wasn't like here. It wasn't how it used to be."

"Crime in Gotham is something you should have been aware of going in. You knew it wouldn't be a picnic."

"No, I knew that… Yeah... But… The chaos. The unrelenting chaos of it all. I mean, we got bad guys here in Jump, right? They got like, motivations of greed, power, whatever. How do you battle a guy who kills people just because? Or, who doesn't care about how much time he could spend in jail, or if he dies? How do you… How do you fight that kind of person? How do you make it matter to that kind of monster?"

Raven paused. She let all the clues link together, how they began to paint a picture of a famous face. The face was smiling wide and cruel. "You fought with the Joker…?" She asked softly, looking at him.

"Yeah, but… It ain't just him. Like, a lot of people are like that. I… I don't know how Nightwing does it." His voice began to stutter. Raven leaned forward, looking towards his face. There were tears in his eyes, "Ya know what really scares me? Wha-What scares the rest of the team? That I'm just gonna start accepting it. Like, I'm gonna be able to put it all out of my mind, like it doesn't bother me. That's why they sent you up right? To see if I was becomin' some kind of sociopath?"

"No one sent me up, Gar. I'm here because I'm your friend." Raven said, taking his hand in her own.

"Yeah, right…" He didn't believe her. He turned away, seemingly ashamed of his tears.

Raven continued, "You know…" Garfield looked up at her, sniffling, "I was worried you were broken, like you said. I saw how you acted tonight and I didn't see the boy I cared for… I saw a soldier. A piece of meat hammered into a weapon by Robin."

"Ugh, no meat analogies please…"

She smiled at him, "But now, seeing you like this… You aren't broken, Beast Boy. You aren't ruined. You're just bruised." Raven said, slipping her fingers within his, holding his hand tight.

"And bruises heal, huh?"

"Yes." She then took him by the back of his head, pulling her into him in a tight hug. Garfield seemed surprised. There was a faint redness to his cheeks, but he nestled into her instead of pulling away.

Garfield hesitated at first, but soon his pawing hands wrapped around her body, holding her against him. Raven nuzzled her face against his hair, breathing him in. She hadn't held him like this in a long time. She remembered the nights after Terra… Or after Malchior... How the two found solace in each other after such betrayals. How he came to her room, just seeking someone… A friend, a sister to lean on. Raven felt guilty remembering the times she drove him away, calling him a name or brushing him off with a smack of her magic power. She regretted those moments. Garfield was a boy in pain, even now, and she wanted to be there for him. "I'm here, Gar… I'm here for you." She whispered, looking down at him.

He sniffled, pulling away, "T-thanks…"

"You should try meditating with me. We can talk about Gotham. When you're ready of course..." She offered, somewhat regretting it. Garfield was real now, but how would he act later when that goofy side of him came out? Raven decided not to think on it.

"Heh, me? Meditating? I dunno…"

"It could be just like this. You listening to your music." She said, taking the earbud he pulled free and pushing it into her own ear, "What were you listening to anyway?"

"Aphex Twin…" Garfield muttered. He turned the song back on, and the soft wind-like melody of _#3_ came on. Raven remembered the song from when she was younger.

She smirked up at him, "Really? What happened to all those pop-punk bands you used to listen to-"

"Ugh, don't remind me." He said, lolling out his tongue with a disgusted grimace.

"What was that one... Green Day?" She asked, a wicked smirk plastered on her lips.

"Hey, their old stuff is still-"

"Come on Gar, that's too ironic even for you." She said with a teasing smirk. Garfield just laughed, giving a smile as he turned back towards the sun. It had risen past the buildings, spilling light upon the city and it's waking people. Raven watched as the city seemed to grow, not only in size but in its tone. No longer was it a city of devils and sins, but a real city again… A city of promise.

"I hope things can go back to normal soon. I hope it'll be like it was." Garfield said.

"It'll never be like it was… But, we can work to something similar. Or better…" She said, leaning back to absorb the sunlight. "Plus, you got Kate right? That's got to look good over the horizon."

"Huh?" Gar asked, looking back to her with a confused smile.

"Kate. Batwoman… Aren't… You two dating?" Raven wondered if she had made another mistake in assumption. She searched Garfield for an answer, but found only a bemused smile. "What?" Garfield started laughing at her, giving a hearty chuckle, but attempting to spare her hurt feelings as he covered his mouth with his hand. Raven flushed, "What?!"

"Dude, Kate's gay." He said between chuckles.

Raven blinked, looking forward. Things started to click into place, "Oh." And then… Other things started to click, "Oh…" Raven turned beat red, pulling her legs up to her chest. Garfield just laughed harder at her reaction, lowering a hand to his stomach.

"Oh man, your face…" He said, wiping away tears of another kind now.

Raven wasn't sure if she wanted an answer, "Does she…?"

"Oh yeah, big time. Better watch yer back, girl…" He teased, lifting an arm to slip around her neck, pulling her close. Raven buried her face in her knees, laughing at her lack of realization that all of Kate's shy looks and flustered speaking was due to the fact that Kate had a huge crush on the empath. "Heh, I'd be flattered if I were you." Garfield said, finishing off his laugh.

Truthfully, she was...


	7. Black Tie Event Part 1

-Raven-

Raven still couldn't believe what she saw in the mirror, even after the four days of letting it all sink in. She was a woman… Nineteen years of age, hair down to her chest, her body developed… Well, more than it had been at fifteen. It was almost like looking at a stranger. She lifted her fingers to the bindi on her forehead, confirming it for the possible millionth time that it was in fact her. It was no spell… No trick by her father, Trigon. Raven was now an adult, and so was everyone else.

She sighed, turning on the faucet. It still churned a bit, struggling to force the flow of cool water out from the old faucet. Eventually, it came dribbling out, then a gush of a full stream splashing into the sink. Raven dipped her hands in, cupping the water and then lifting her makeshift bowl up to her face. She washed it as if her looks were some kind of makeup, as if she could wash away this mature Raven if she rubbed hard enough.

Nope. It was her.

Raven wondered if her time missed made her seem more juvenile in the eyes of her old companions. She wondered how anyone could seem more juvenile than Garfield at any moment in their life, but even he had turned into something else. Something nearly unrecognizable. She took back the idea when she saw her own form though. It felt arrogant, but the empath had become quite the attractive woman. She couldn't help but twist, looking over herself as she stood inside the shared bathroom. The group had taken turns cleaning, but they managed to return the bathroom to… Well, at least usable conditions. The mirror was replaced, and Raven was a bit ashamed to admit she spent quite a few spare vain moments just getting reacquainted with herself. Who could blame her though? It wasn't every day you went to sleep and awoke four years later.

She was still having troubles remembering those last few days...

Raven was wearing her old black leotard, and it fitted over her body snugly. She couldn't find her dainty shoes in the rubble of the tower, so she was forced to go out and buy a pair of boots. Unlike her shoes though, these were thigh highs, and they tightly clamped around Raven's slender, pale legs. She had to look through a number of high heeled boots until she found some sensible ones… She didn't tell the others she found them in a fetish shop. One which she could legally enter now... She then draped her trademark cloak over her shoulders, watching as the edge of it dipped down just below her knees. She was beginning to look like herself again.

But the hair… What was she to do with her hair? In all honesty, she hated having long hair. It was a relief to cut it after Trigon's attack all those years ago, and she couldn't help but feel the urge to be rid of it here as well. It seemed her long hair was a constant bad reminder of terrible things in her young life. She looked down to her tools. Kate had given them to her… Scissors, a razor, shaver… It was all there. She even threw in some hair spray and shampoo, but Raven didn't think she would be using them. Her hair was flat, not big and curly like Kate's.

Raven looked back into the mirror. She never wore makeup, but she had her shadowy pale look to herself as she always did. Some people thought her paleness was from the application of makeup, but it wasn't. Just an unfortunate reminder of her half demon parentage, that was all.

Her eyes seemed a bit pearlescent though, with a much whiter sheen, almost glazing over her iris. She didn't see any different, but it was there. It gave her eyes a sort of pop, something to draw to. It was if her eyes were taking in the light she had neglected them from for so long and keeping it locked within. Raven's aversion to the light didn't seem to help in regards to recovery, so they had remained like this for a while. Another strange demonic twist of biology.

Raven lifted the scissors to her hair, and began cutting it off. Her hair lining abilities were always pretty spot on, and she watched as lock after lock tumbled down into the sink. The sound of her sheers snipping was sort of a sickening sound. She didn't like it, and rushed to snip the rest of her hair from herself. It wasn't long before she looked up at herself.

Now she was sure. She was Raven. An older Raven, but herself all the same. Raven sighed, looking down at the stray locks that littered the sink. It seemed wrong to already ruin the near-clean bathroom, so she scooped them up and dumped them in the trash.

"Raven…" A feminine voice called out to her.

Looking up, she saw a darkened figure behind her. His black wasn't a shadow, but darker, an outline of a figure that seemed as deep as one of her portals. Raven felt her breath clench in her throat, quickly spinning around as she felt a burst of her magical energy crack the mirror behind her.

The shadowy figure was gone.

Raven gasped for breath, reaching for her chest with a shaky hand. A ghost? A spirit that was wandering through the tower? Or maybe her mind was creating figures from her underused imagination. Raven wondered if her deep sleep in the Watchtower had caused any adverse effects.

Should she mention this to the others?

Raven caught her breath, looking back with a wince at the new mirror, now ruined with another crack. Cyborg would be annoyed.

Raven left the bathroom and began to walk down the hall. Turning the corner, she was stopped by the sight of a stranger in a tight fitting black and red uniform. She blinked, realising that it was in fact Nightwing. He had cut his hair and changed his uniform. His black locks were much shorter now, but still a little long towards the back. He had a slicked back look to the style, and the blue avian on his uniform was now red. He was lifting a metallic door to the entrance of his old room, fitting it back into the frame. He seemed hard at work with refitting it to liveable conditions, "Hey you…" Nightwing said with a smile, locking the door into place. "You've cut your hair." He hadn't even fully turned to her before noticing these things. Sometimes his Ninja senses were bafflingly impressive.

"As have you… And your uniform." She commented, looking him up and down. She was glad the pretext of his change was enough for her to sneak a peek at the peaked Boy Wonder. 'That's no boy...' Raven thought to herself, "Why the change?" She asked, raising her eyes back to his… Mask. He still had on the Harlequin eye mask.

"Something Batwoman said." He said with a smirk, knocking on the door to make sure it was stable. He then clicked the panel next to the frame and watched as the door swished open half way, then got caught in the middle. Nightwing frowned, "And I wanted to distinguish myself from the Nightwing I was in Gotham. A visual change is good for the city, lets them see that it's their own Nightwing, not Gotham's." He said with a bit of pride in his tone. Raven rolled her eyes, lowering a hand to her hip. Nightwing laughed, "Yeah, I figured that would be your reaction… Gar would have laughed in my face."

"You do have the talent for being over dramatic." Raven stated, settling behind him as Nightwing kneeled and then lifted the wall panel's face off the mechanical contraption. He worked out a few wires, and then dug inside, looking for something.

He withdrew a stale tortilla chip, "How does that even happen?" He mumbled to himself, fishing back inside for more blockage that would disrupt the door's function. "What about you? Don't like long hair?"

"I did on you." She admitted a bit too quickly, "But uh… Long hair on me just reminds me of my troubles with my Father. I'd rather not be reminded."

"I can understand that." He said, standing up to dust himself off. He then turned towards her, Raven realizing that she was now intimately close with the boy. She had to look up to look him in the eyes. He towered an extra foot over her, putting her at eye level with his broad chest. Raven frowned, looking away and backing up. Nightwing remained in place, a sly smirk on his face.

'Damn that confidence.' He knew what he was doing, and Raven was finding herself rather flustered at how these sudden desires seemed to be affecting her.

"Sorry to disappoint with my hair. Maybe Kate has a wig I can borrow if you really want it back." He said with a small, friendly smile. He was lightening the sudden shift in mood, and Raven was relieved. She gave an inkling of a smile at that, imagining him with a big, blonde 80s hair wig.

"Don't get any ideas though." He seemed to read through Raven's sudden devious intentions.

"Who me?" She asked back, planting a mock shocked hand on her chest.

The two laughed, and Raven felt peaceful. She was comfortable in her surroundings, around him. She wasn't sure if this was what a crush felt like, but she was having some rather strong emotions that tied with the former Boy Wonder. Raven felt needs and desires seemingly boil up inside her, and as Nightwing smiled to her, she felt a shiver of want tingle up her spine. She needed to shift away from this… She needed to suppress these thoughts.

"Ahem… Do you have any idea what this meeting Cyborg's calling is?" Raven asked, parting her hair from her eyes, leaning back against the hallway wall.

"Sort of. Cyborg has been compiling a list of Titans that may be able to help us in our new group. Not everyone is still in the game, but we've had some pings back from their old Titan's Communicators." Nightwing said, leaning against the wall across from her, "It's not going to be like before, Cy and I both decided that… We can't fight crime in an open display, not like the old days. The Federal and California State Government have put too many restrictions of costumed vigilantism in the past few years. It's too risky to do what we do and limit ourselves to one city."

Raven gave a small wince, "I still haven't caught up on all that." She admitted. She reached for her forearm, giving it a stroke. She felt like she was so behind. Hells, even Garfield was aware of some of the political situation, even if he didn't care for it.

"That's ok. You're still adjusting to everything." He breathed a sigh, "I can imagine it's a lot to take in. I'll make sure to sit down and discuss some things with you."

"You know, seeing you all and the city change felt weird, but possible… Seeing myself though." She looked down to herself, uncovering her cloak to show off her form for a moment, "It's just surreal."

"I bet." Nightwing said, giving a smirk. Raven realized what she was doing, and quickly wrapped herself up in her cloak again, giving a faint flush to her cheeks.

Nightwing noticed her discomfort, lifting a hand to her, "Sorry, force of habit…"

"I figured…" Raven took in a breath, "May I ask what happened with you and Starfire? I know she was upset when you left, but I figured you two would stay together. At least romantically…"

Nightwing lifted his hand to his newly cropped hair, "I forgot how blunt you are."

"I'm sorry." Raven felt like she was apologizing a lot lately. She felt like she was owed an explanation though, especially if she was going to be receiving the flirtations of a boy she remembered being well involved with a giddy alien.

"No no, it's fine. Four years may have split us apart, but I still see you as close as blood Raven."

'Nothing more, Robin?' Raven wondered. She then angered herself with that stray thought popping into her mind.

"I did keep in contact with Starfire. I tried to fly to Jump every weekend I could when I first started my solo work. We just started growing apart, and with that distance I began to notice how… How we are nothing alike." He spoke the last part like it was a relief. "I mean, you saw how she was back then. Sure, she was weird, but she was an alien valley girl. I think I just liked her because she showed me affection in a way I never had before."

"You were kids, being kids." Raven said bluntly.

"Plus, I met someone… Someone in Gotham I got very close to." He muttered.

"What was her name?" Raven asked with a smile. Raven was happy for him. At least he found someone that meant something to him, even if it wasn't her friend Star.

"Barbara…" He answered with a tight strain on his voice.

'Uh oh.'

"Is she…?"

"No, no… Almost. She was hurt bad, and…" He sighed, "I have never been good as a source of comfort. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I ran. Absorbed myself in my work."

Raven decided to steer clear from that line of questioning. She could tell Nightwing was becoming visibly distraught, even with his mask on, "Let's change the subject… And what of Starfire?"

Nightwing exhaled, like that question was even harder to explain than the last. He didn't seem so saddened in relaying this tale though, "After we split apart, she started seeing Speedy… Romantically. Or Arsenal as he calls himself now."

Raven didn't want to say it, but it was easy to see. Speedy and Robin had a lot in common back then, and there was always a fierce rivalry between them. Starfire was attracted to Robin and his personality. Could it be she was just attracted to those solemn, loner types? Looks like Nightwing had to lose at some point in his crime fighting career, and he lost the girl...

"The two started working together independently. I don't know how or where they met Red X, but they-"

"Wait. The criminal?" Raven asked, her brows raising. Red X? Starfire wouldn't associate with a common thief, would she?

"Yeah… X was looking for a source of income, and Starfire had gotten word of some contract jobs in deep space they could do. I think after everything that happened, Kori just grew tired of Earth… Tired of us."

Raven could see the boy was being hard on himself. She could see the regret in his motions, in his body language. He clenched his fists, then loosened them, taking a breath.

"Arsenal decided to come along with the two. If I remember correctly, they're calling themselves the 'Outlaws.'" He continued. "I'm kind of… Limited to Earth in terms of my surveillance. I try and send a message now and then to get an update on her welfare, but I never get a message back."

"The Outlaws? I wonder who thought of that name." Raven said sarcastically, crossing her arms, "So, Star has gone bad?"

Nightwing looked down, "I don't know. As far as I know, they're only hunting criminals. Bounties for murderers, thieves and the like… But if she's associating with Red X, I don't know how she could stay in his company and not get involved with some dirt."

Raven had a hard time seeing it, "Starfire? Bubbly, goofy, foreign exchange student Starfire is now a interstellar bounty hunter?" Nightwing snorted at the ridiculousness of it all, "Now I think you all are just telling me nonsense to mess with my head." Raven said with a smirk.

"I wish I was!" Nightwing laughed, lifting his hands in surrender, "It's been a wild few years Raven, but I'm glad you're back with us."

"I'm glad as well." She gave him a genuine smile, parting her hair as she looked up at him warmly.

"Let's go see what Cyborg has in store for us." Nightwing said, lifting a hand to her back and giving it a light pat. He swung his arm around her neck, the two walking from the hall to approach the living room.

* * *

"So, what you're sayin' is, you wanna go clubbin'?" Garfield asked, scratching his chin scruff. He had a perplexed look on his face. Raven wasn't so confused, but she could understand a militant-minded Garfield being told that he'd have to go to the club to spy rather than dance.

She looked about her teammates, all gathered around the newly washed couch to go over Cy's briefing. The living room still was a mess, windows were covered with plywood and the carpet still had yet to be torn out, but the kitchen was beginning to look functional again. Nightwing stood behind them, arms crossed, as Raven, Kate and Garfield sat on the couch. Cyborg was at the front, giving a professor-like vibe as he explained the mission.

"No, not clubbing. I think we should get some quick recon while we're setting up. Jump Still isn't aware of our return yet, and I think we could get a leg up on our mission of dismantling Jump's crime problem by getting an idea of who the players are." Victor explained, pushing a button on his remote. An image flashed on the new TV screen, an invitation to some kind of 'black' event, hosted by Sionis Industries.

It was a scan of a formal invitation, the seal in a solid black velvet that had to be untied to read. The lettering of the invitation was handwritten and elegant, giving signs that each invitation was individually crafted.

"Black Mask is a big player in Gotham," Nightwing explained, "And if he's set up in Jump City, he has to be getting help from somewhere. He also probably has allies in the city, small gangs or syndicates that help him in his drug making operation. I want to know who they are, and this party might be the best source of information." He then walked around the couch, taking a stand next to Victor. The two stood before the rest of the Titans. Raven wondered if they had decided to split leadership. The two consuls of the Titans...

"So this 'black' event…" Kate started, "Black tie, black dress?" She asked.

"Yep. Looks like this will be our first deep cover assignment together. Gar and I will have our cloaks on, but we'll all have to dress up to blend in." Cyborg explained. He then pressed a button on his remote, and the TV switched to the next image. On it was a blueprint layout of the club. Cy pointed towards a upside down 'U' looking shape that covered three of the four walls of the club's main floor, "Up here is the VIP section. Now, we may get some small time players interactin' with the rabble down below, but we're guessing the big shots are going to be up there, looking down on everyone."

"So, we need someone up there." Raven stated, leaning back in her seat, "How are we going to do it?"

"Well…" Nightwing sighed, "It's too soon to plant a undercover, so someone is going to have to smooth talk their way upstairs." He glanced to the two girls sitting beside each other.

Raven frowned, "Uhh…"

Nightwing lifted his hands, "I know, it sounds pretty awful, but honestly I don't see a way inside unless one of these mobsters thinks he's got a new girl on his arm." Raven didn't like this. The others may have had experience in blending in undercover, but not her. Kate must have sensed Raven's discomfort, "Don't worry boss. I'll get upstairs." She offered, looking to her and giving the empath a smile.

Raven smiled back with a nod, but now it was her turn to turn a little red and look off. Raven couldn't see her reaction, but she imagined the girl could read her face. 'Great, she probably knows I know now.' Raven thought, getting the courage to save face by lifting her gaze back to the girl, "Thank you. Uhm, I may need your help in getting ready. I've never really done a formal… Thing…"

"Yeah, uh… That goes for me too, dude. All the bangers we posed as never put on a tie if I remember correctly." Garfield stated.

Raven couldn't help but smirk, "Beast Boy, do you not know how to tie a tie?" She asked. Kate turned to him as well, and the two girls gave him quite the mocking look.

Garfield just frowned, leaning back and crossing his arms. He was embarrassed, looking away, "Whatever… And it's Changeling."

This was good. This banter. Raven could feel it, something was back from the old days. How the group used it, it raised the tone in the room. Kate snickered and Raven glanced to both Nightwing and Cyborg, who also gave warm smiles. They could feel it too. The team was back. They were shattered, older, battle hardened versions of themselves, but they were back. Even Garfield, in his post-humiliation, gave a small toothy smirk.

"Kate, I guess you can handle both the kids and their fancy wear." Nightwing said. Raven glanced back at him with a frown, and the ex-Boy Wonder gave her a wink. 'Gotta take it to give it.' Raven read off his face.

Fair enough Nightwing, fair enough…


	8. Black Tie Event Part 2

[BLEH! Sorry for the delay guys. I've been busy these past few weeks.]

-Garfield-

"You're an asshole, Gar." Yeah, that was a little true. Kate was upset. Probably for good reason... Garfield hadn't said anything yet, but he was an awful liar. Kate tugged on his tie, nearly choking him as she straightened it around his neck.

Garfield lifted his hands to hers with a small, nervous chuckle, "W-what'd I do?" He asked sheepishly, giving her a toothy grin. He knew EXACTLY what he did, but he liked seeing Kate flustered. It wasn't often he got to see the glorious Batwoman, in all her rough and tumble tenaciousness, turn red with embarrassment.

While Batwoman worked up the reasons why Garfield was such a dick, he glanced at himself in her vanity mirror. Gar hated to admit it, but he looked good in a suit. He felt it went against his beastly nature. His slim stature really added to the shape of the outfit, and he felt a sense of pride that the 'Beast' could clean up so nicely. He felt another tug at his neck, garnering his attention back towards the Bat-Child seething with mild, yet adorable, fury.

"You know exactly what you did! Raven knows, doesn't she? She knows I… I admire her." She grumbled with a small slap against his face, straightening him up. Garfield gave a horse like exhale, standing tall like a prized stallion trotting for approval.

"You DO 'admire' her though, don't ya?" Garfield teased. He winced, knowing what was coming.

"I didn't want her to know that you green abomination! She's a teammate. Teammates aren't supposed to be THAT friendly with each other!" She said, shaking him with an annoyed growl. This was great. Little acts of torture were something Garfield thrived on, and they took him back to his days as the team prankster. Garfield took his shaking in stride, lifting his hands to her shoulders.

"I-I didn't tell her! She figured it out herself, you nerd…" She stopped shaking him.

"What do you mean?" She asked, running a hand through her short, red hair. There was a look of impatient confusion on the girl's face, and Gar realized he'd better start laying out his answers before she throttled him again.

"She thought you and I were dating."

Kate blinked, and then made a grimace, sticking her tongue out.

"I know…" Garfield laughed, trying not to let the unintentional blow sink his self esteem.

"Blegh, why would she think that?" She asked, sitting down on top of her stool. The two were in a supply area being furnished into Batwoman's room. It was far too spacious and dark for an actual room, but Batwoman didn't seem to mind. Each of their words gave a loud echo that seemed to travel around the room. Gar was only slightly worried that someone may be listening.

Kate hadn't gotten dressed yet herself. All she had was a pair of tight black leather pants, a black tanktop and black combat boots. Garfield wondered if Kate's crush and her were competing for who could be the most goth, but he kept those thoughts to himself. He wouldn't really classify Kate as goth anyways. Back in Gotham, she was always dragging him to rockabilly or psychobilly shows. Some punk as well... It wasn't his scene, but Gar admitted he liked to get some steam off by tossing his lanky body within a mosh pit.

Kate's belongings weren't so stylized though. She had a very minimalist approach to her lifestyle, which made Gar wonder if she even wanted a room. As of now, all she had was a military green cot and a punching bag. Her clothes sat in a duffel bag at the edge of the bed. A true soldier. She also set up a vanity mirror where the Titans could get set up for the mission they currently had on mind. Well, her more than anyone. Part of Batwoman's look was her ghostly features that cast around what was revealed of her face through her mask. It gave her a alluring impression that seemed to both frighten and draw crooks to her.

Kate turned towards her mirror, picking up a white powder and gently applying some to her neck. It gave her this pale, gothy look to her. Gar was reminded of an old comic he read back when he was younger about a similar looking girl who was death itself. Kate looked similar at times, yet Kate had her vibrant red hair… Well, her wig, but even the hair underneath held the same tone of red.

"Well… We are pretty close, dude." He said giving her a nudge. Kate huffed, looking up at him.

"Yeah, I guess… Is that what it looked like to her?" She asked, now giving her turn to wince.

Garfield nodded, "Plus, she didn't know you were gay." He said with a chuckle, "She had this look like a puzzle had fallen into place. You aren't as slick as you think you are girl, she picked up on your looks towards her." Garfield turned to his friend, seeing that she was looking towards her knees, "Hey, I didn't mean-

"No, it's cool." She sighed, "It just makes me sad that the possibility didn't even register with her. Like, that idea was too impossible to even conceive…"

"I wouldn't be so sure. I mean, she's been in a freakin' coma for four years, dude. Like, her mind is still in that naive fifteen year old mentality."

"Ugh, you're making it weird now." She said, giving him a bap across his forehead. She then took him by his arms, turning him towards the mirror.

"No, I'm serious. Listen dude, I've known Raven a long time, and even back then she was a hard person to get close to. She already likes you. Just give it some time."

"You think?" She asked, giving him a genuine smile that seemed to spawn butterflies within his stomach.

"Yeah man. I mean, I can't promise you she'll be into you, but Raven is a friendship you work towards. It may be tough, agonizing and annoying, but it's worth it." It was only as he was saying it that he realized it was all true.

"Sounds like you really care for the girl, Gar." She said. Garfield couldn't tell if there was an accusing tone behind that statement, but he decided not to question it and accept the compliment.

"Well… She's been there for me, good and bad. Kind of like a sister, ya know?" He said, lifting his head to her.

She nodded, "The final touches are all you, Gar."

Garfield nodded, picking up the two metallic rings that sat on her table. He slipped them on both his ring fingers, then pushed the two together. His body gave a small shine, as if he were some angelic being, before he blinked and looked forward. He was human again… Blonde hair, blue eyes, white skin... Or some illusion of it. It felt strange for the young man, who knew nothing but the glances of surprise, fear or disgust pointed towards him, to be standing within a Human's shoes.

He was silent for a moment, just staring at his reflection. It was as if he was looking at another person. Maybe someone related to him, but not Garfield Logan. He looked down to his hands. The claws were gone, and he had normal, stubby looking fingers. He then felt a pair of arms wrap around him, Kate's face perching on his shoulder, "A little too Aryan for my tastes…" She joked.

Garfield smirked, "It's weird. I've never had the urge or the need to hide who I am. I never cared that much… But… I can now. I could just… Blend in and disappear."

"Is that something you've wanted? To deny who you are?" Kate asked softly, still holding him in her hug. It was a whisper that tickled against his ear, as if she were a internal entity rather than a person. She was a bit taller than him, so he could easily just lean back into her as she held him close… Like a big sister would. Was she taking Raven's place?

"I dunno… I've never had the chance really… Until tonight."

There was a sudden knock at the door. Kate slipped away from him, turning towards the door, "It's open!"

The doors slid open to reveal Raven standing before them.

If Kate were a cartoon, Garfield could imagine her jaw hitting the floor in that moment. Gar had to admit… She looked beautiful.

Raven stood in a sleek, solid black dress that hugged the curves of her body tightly. She radiated classic grace, and Garfield had the urge to turn the world black and white to see the alluring femme fatale before him. The skirt left just an inch of her pale skin revealed, while her long legs were covered by a pair of thigh high heels. The small bit of skin surprised Garfield. It hinted at sensuality, yet still held modesty with it. She also wore a pair of black leather gloves that reached up to her biceps.

She looked great, and Garfield glanced to Kate to see her locked on Raven. This must have been awkward. Garfield decided to help, "Hey Rae! You look great."

She took a step forward, her hands suddenly flailing out as she lost her balance. She clutched the frame of the doorway as she almost stumbled forward into the room. The sexiness that she seemed to be carrying drained from the girl almost instantly. She looked more like a child in mom's big shoes now. She flushed, looking down to the heels, "I've never worn heels before. Are they supposed to nearly kill me everytime I take a step?"

That seemed to bring Kate out of her shock, because the girl chuckled and quickly hopped over towards the doorway to help her fellow Titan out, "Yeah, I know what you mean…" She said, taking her by the arm and helping her along. Raven smiled softly to Kate, and Kate tried to conceal her red cheeks. The makeup helped.

The two wobbled their way over to Kate's mirror and Kate sat Raven down. Raven gave a grumble, looking down at her heel clad feet, "This is impossible. I'm going to go with my other boots."

"That may be best." Garfield nodded, trying to contain his own snicker, "I doubt we'd be able to stay incognito if you're learning to walk into the club."

Raven just nodded and turned to Kate, unzipping a boot to strip it off, "So… You're going to do my makeup?"

"Uh, yeah!" She nodded, "Is that weird?"

"I've never had makeup before."

"Wait, really?" Kate said.

"Yeah, why?" Raven asked, lifting a brow to her. Kate seemed to get lost in Raven's gaze.

"Oh, uh… You just look so… Uhm…" Kate was slipping. Garfield took hold of her shoulders, attempting to save the flustered girl.

"She means those bags under yer eyes looks like eye shadow you creepy goth." He gave a boyish snicker.

Raven gave him a frown, flicking him away with a small burst of her magic. Garfield was rather surprised, giving his own flailing tumble until he fell back on his rear. He looked up at her with a laugh, Raven smirking wickedly down at him. 'I just sacrificed my dignity for you Kate. You better recognize.' Kate just sighed a breath of relief. 'You're welcome.' Garfield thought.

"So, uh… Do you want something heavy or light?" She asked her, showing her some of her choices on the vanity table. Raven didn't think long.

"Keep it light. I don't want to look like a stripper…"

Garfield snorted and Kate smiled. She gave an enthusiastic nod and began work on Raven's makeup.

-Raven-

Beast Boy gave a immature groan as he flipped through Cyborg's CD collection. He seemed to be quite annoyed with Victor's choices, though Cy didn't seem to be offended by it, "Maaan, when did you get so into EDM? That's like all you have."

"Hey man, don't knock it till you try it." Victor made a genre of music sound almost like some kind of exotic food or drug.

"I have tried it, and I've evolved from it, dude."

"What, to that Neo-80s crap you listen to all day?" Nightwing chimed in, shuffling a bit next to Raven.

Raven was in the back of Victor's T-car, the five on their way to the nightclub. It was cloaked as some kind of fancy sedan, one Raven didn't recognize. She doubted it mattered. It just had to draw eyes, draw importance…

She was crammed in the back in between Nightwing and Batwoman. She had to admit, she felt like she was in quite the precarious situation. She knew both Titans had a slight interest in her, and now she was set between them. It was if she was planted there by some cruel deity to see how they would compete for her affections, but Raven guessed these Gods would be disappointed by the awkwardness that seemed to carry between the three. The irony wasn't lost on Raven, who slouched back with her arms crossed. She would have prefered sitting shotgun, but the newly return to form Garfield had scampered up to the front to sit next to Cy, who was driving. "How about we just sit in silence then-" Raven began.

"AW SNAP! Garfield chimed, sliding a CD from it's sleeve, "I can't believe you still have this."

"Heheh, here we go.." Victor said, glancing towards the CD as Garfield slid it in the CD player. The player looked almost archaic compared to the rest of the car, but Raven thought those little details resonated with the team. It kept them connected with their past.

_This is the rhythm of the night…_

"Oh my God." Nightwing mumbled, lifting a palm to his face as he laughed realizing who it was, "Corona... Really?"

_The night…_

_Oh yeah..._

The almost comical 90's beat kicked off with Garfield and Victor both diving into it, giving their best attempts at intentionally bad dancing at the front of the car. It was a sight that didn't bode well. What kind of nightclub bouncer was going to let these morons in? Raven rolled her eyes, the loud music blaring annoyingly past the two idiots to rattle her ear drums with the constant slamming of bass and synth. She lifted a hand to her face, shaking her head wearily before glancing to Kate to her left.

She was enthusiastically nodding to the beat. Not as energetically as her male compatriots, but with a goofy bucking of her head. She blinked, glancing to her right to see Raven staring at her, and blushed. She stopped.

Raven smirked, turning towards Nightwing. He was trying to remain cool under pressure, but she could tell the cheesy disco club beat was causing his poor leg to gently pat to the beat, his word mouthing along with the, 'Oh yeah…' Raven couldn't tell behind his solid black sunglasses if he was looking at her or not, but the small smirk seemed to indicate he could at least sense the disapproving Raven was staring at him.

There was a pause…

And then all four of her Titan comrades burst out with a...

"_THIS IS THE RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT!"_

Raven groaned externally, but internally she felt a warmth that spread over her. They were Teens no more, but these Titans were still her ridiculous friends that she would die for, even with all their stupidity on display.

The towers of Jump City seemed to engulf them as they drove deeper into the city. Raven looked past Nightwing to watch the people walk by, rushing to their destinations with an intent so certain Raven almost wondered if they could see into the future. She realized that they were in fact probably rushing home to avoid the denizens of Jump's night life, the criminals, thugs and villains…

She wanted to reach out to them and let them know that it was ok, that the Titans were back to protect them, to usher them back to that bright, somewhat obnoxious, beacon of a city she knew from before. She wanted to share that protection with these scared people.

The question was: Did they even want that? Did they care?

As they turned the corner down Main Street, they could see the red light district in the distance. A spotlight shined ahead, spilling a looping aura of light to the foggy depths above. It reminded Raven of those old Gotham cop shows that Cyborg used to watch. With dark, gothic architecture punctuating the mood of the lit up weather.

"Whoa, is that it?" Garfield asked, seeing the club in the distance. Traffic was packed, and there was a flurry of anxious people all trying to get into the event. Raven wondered if they would be pushing about the crowd as well, but Cy and Nightwing had sworn by the legitimacy of their fake VIP passes.

"This is it guys. You're all wired up for recording and for radio chatter. Stay in groups of two if you can, and when you speak over general comms, make sure to look like you're talking to your partner. We don't need anyone looking at us differently." Nightwing said within a whisper. It was as if he felt they were already being listened to.

"Chances are they'll think we're cops." Garfield stated.

"Well, let's not take that chance. We have some pretty recognizable mugs guys, so let's try and stay out of the spotlight as best we can. If things go south, the code for retreat is: Party Crashers"

"Lame." Garfield chimed. Nightwing gently shoved against the back of Gar's seat.

"Alright kids," Cyborg said, "It's go time…"


	9. Black Tie Event Part 3

-Dick-

Dick shuffled out of the back of the T-Car first, holding the door open for the two girls who each dipped their legs elegantly out from the car then stood up. It was a mature gesture, mainly for the prying eyes of those waiting to get into the club. It was a risk having them all together like this though, they'd have to split once they were inside the club to prevent associations. Dick was sure Black Mask had thought of someone trying to crash his little party...

He glanced up to Victor, who was hesitantly planting the car keys into the valet's hand, a young kid with ginger hair. Dick wondered if Cy had taken all the necessary precautions to make sure the Valet wouldn't be curious and poke around the interior of the T-Car. He figured there were safety measures in place.

Dick had to admit, he was always impressed with the level of technology Cyborg applied to their gear and resources. The T-Car was no exception. Looking down at the vehicle now, Dick could barely tell it apart from any other modern sedan. It had a black, sleek paint job and tinted windows. The sign of someone who didn't want to be seen though acceptable in the criminal underworld. It looked like a real car, one that a group of hardened thugs would use. He knew better though, and he knew that the cloaking system was only a switch flick away to anyone who pried, but Dick doubted that this valet would tempt angering one of Black Mask's guests by messing around with the car's switches and knobs.

Black Mask was a big time player in Gotham years back, but Dick and his Orphans had noticed more and more of his power seemed to be dwindling away in the city. Dick had placed the loss of territory to other gangs moving in, or the super criminal element taking over, but it seemed Sionis played it smart. Gotham was going to shit, so the most logical move was to pull out and start anew. By the sight of the Sionis Industries tower in the distance of Downtown Jump, it had been a good move.

As Kate slipped from the car, turning to smile back at him and urge him onwards, Dick cast a look out towards the bay. He could see Titan's Tower in the distance, and it silhouetted the moonlight with a dark 'T' form. To anyone looking, the tower looked as abandoned and decrepit as it always did. Dick wondered how often the fall of the Teen Titans came up in hushed conversation. Did they ever worry of their return? Did they think of their city as abandoned by the powers of good?

Cy could work magic when he wanted to, and Dick was impressed with the stealth field he was able to create that gave the impression that the Tower was indeed still a derelict wreck. If anyone stepped into the field though, they would see that the tower was in quite the state of repair. Someone would have to be on the island for that. Dick hoped that the Joker gang they had dispatched wouldn't try to retake their hideout. He wouldn't imagine they would, the way Garfield had handled them.

Dick glanced to Garfield, who was messing with his tie with an annoyed expression. He had gotten better… Raven had apparently talked with him, and the growing Beast that everyone was worried about seemed to be becoming more controlled. Dick knew it wasn't in his nature to let things go though, the detective that he was, so the ex-Boy Wonder would have to keep an eye on his green friend.

"You coming Blue?" Kate asked. Dick looked up the stairs to the front entrance of the club. Above the door was a flashy sign that read, 'The Cellar.' There were three bouncers present. One was checking VIP passes, which Cyborg handed to him. The other was controlling a line of people begging to get in, and another was watching the door.

"Yeah." He nodded. Nightwing had always taken the codename 'Blue' during their ops in Gotham due to his blue and black uniform. Now, with his uniform's blue replaced with red, he wondered if he's have to compete for the 'red' codename with Kate. He doubted she would give it up.

Perhaps Black would suit him better… Cyborg could have Blue.

Dick joined the rest of the team by the bouncer, and watched as the large, bulky man went over their VIP passes. Dick was good at keeping a straight face, but he could tell both Raven and Cyborg were wavering. Raven didn't have any experience in espionage, and Cy had a personal stake in his fake invitation making skills. An etch of pride that could be their downfall here if Cyborg didn't get his act together.

Dick pushed past the Titans, giving a commanding presence to the bouncer, "There a problem?" He asked in a stern tone. As if he had an aura of superiority over the bouncer that said, 'I can get you fired… or worse.'

The bouncer blinked, glancing up at Dick, and then shook his head, "You're all good. Have fun."

He then waved them through, unhooking a velvet rope that was blocking passage for those who wanted to come in and enjoy the club. This was the tricky part… If anyone was watching, they would see a group of young adults that looked a lot like their past heroes being ushered in before them inside the club. They were too similar together. The group would have to split off inside.

Thankfully, no one seemed to notice. They were led inside, a dark hallway giving them some alone time before they entered the main floor. Dick could hear the muffled bass up ahead, the little chatter of people cheering and enjoying themselves sprinkling on top of the jungle beat.

"Whew…" Garfield chuckled.

"That was the easy part. Now we have to blend in." Dick said in a soft whisper.

The group didn't respond. Dick led the way, pushing the final double doors that led inside the club. It was an explosion of color that made Dick stop in his tracks. There was a rush of sights, sounds and senses. The smell of alcohol and sweat was thick on Dick's nose, and the sight of vibrant, colorful lights made him squint as he looked about the open space. It all had a nauseous feel to it, and Dick immediately hated the scene.

In the middle of a large open area was the dance floor, a DJ perched above everyone playing some DeadMau5 remix and nodding his head along. The crowd below was of the younger variety. Young thugs and their girls mashing and grinding against each other as they squealed out happily. They at least were into it. If Dick didn't know better, he would think most of the people about him were normal. He knew better though. He knew that these delightful individuals were some of Jump's worst.

To the right was a bar. The bartenders were overworked by the looks of things, but they could manage themselves well. People seemed to stack on each other as they politely fought to get a drink. Dick knew it wouldn't last, and he wondered when the first punch would be thrown.

Up above was the patio that had been briefed to the Titans. Black Mask would be up there, lost amongst the bodies of crooks leaning over the railings. The goal was there, and he was curious how they would make this play.

Dick kept walking, descending towards the dance floor. He could make out the sight of his team parting in different directions. Kate and Garfield went right towards the bar area. Garfield clutched Kate's hand like a girlfriend's, lifting his hand obnoxiously to the bartender. Kate rolled his eyes. It was a play. Good.

Raven was moving towards the back, to an area where the more loner types seemed to congregate. Every so often, someone would approach a girl at the grouping of lonesome souls and offer a dance. Some agreed, some denied. Raven placed herself against the wall, watching the crowd below like a hawk looking for prey. Dick wondered how she would go about getting upstairs. Perhaps it wasn't wise to rely on her for that job. She could be look out, keeping an eye on things downstairs.

Cyborg followed him into the crowd of dancers towards the middle. He didn't have to worry much about bumping into people. Thanks to Cy's large size, he had a sort of intimidating display to him, which parted the dancing thugs like Moses parting the Red Sea.

"Ok people." Dick spoke to himself. He knew the others would be able to hear him. The devices implanted in their ears were of the highest quality, "Let's get some good info."

-Garfield-

"Alright, gimme me another one." Garfield waved towards the bartender. The bartender looked wary, giving how Garfield was acting. He could do the drunk asshole pretty well, and the idea was simple enough to attract attention. Garfield didn't draw attention to it, but a few members of crime high society had circled around him to watch the 'boy' drink himself stupid. Perhaps they'd get a chance to prove themselves by being the ones to toss the sloshy Garfield out.

Kate smirked at him, brow raised, "Think you can muster another, big boy? You've only had a few." Kate looked good out of uniform, Gar had to admit that. Her military cut hanged loose, a few strands of sweat soaked hair sticking to her forehead. She had this devious smile on her lips, one that read, 'Come on, bring it on." Garfield began to wonder if this fake challenge wasn't so fake after all.

The play was easy. Kate would drink Garfield under the table and attract attention to one of the higher ups, getting her up stairs. There was something about a fiery and strong woman that was attractive to these types, and with the years of undercover experience both Gar and Kate had, the two knew how to easily draw the right kind of attention to themselves.

Garfield was already looking pretty ragged, and he had to admit he was feeling a tad bit sloshed. It just added more to his character though. He tried to make sure not to drink to a point where he couldn't do his job. That was important. Nightwing wouldn't like it if he was unable to act under pressure.

Kate pushed him another shot of Whiskey. Gar shouldn't have been surprised that they didn't card at this bar, but he still was. He was only eighteen, but he was sure there were some younger kids in here, street thugs trying to make a name for themselves. The changeling was sure he looked rather youthful being shown up by his beautiful red headed partner. He smirked, taking the shot in his wobbly hand, "Alright, let's go."

The two encircled their shot-laden arms, getting rather intimately close as they lifted their drinks to their lips, a mirror image of each other's actions. This showed a few things: One, that the two, despite challenging each other, were close. This probably would prevent Gar from being beaten or killed. Two, that those wanting to steer Kate towards them would have to work rather hard to spring her from a fake romantic relationship implied with the act.

Garfield let his eyes waver, focusing in on the small crowd that was gathering around them. Most were there to laugh at his wimpish drinking manner, some just to spectate. His eyes drifted to a taller blonde girl, skinny and bony. She had a familiar…

Terra was never a voluptuous girl. Even as a teen, she was built like a stick. Skinny, bony and with long arms. She had a beautiful face though, and deep blue eyes Gar could get lost in every time she smiled at him. She hadn't changed much since he last saw her, a struggling school girl worried about a coming test. She had grown taller, more confident… She was dressed in a solid black dress, a pair of jeans and tennis shoes barely hiding under the black lace. Still ever the rough and tumble girl...

Garfield's eyes went wide, suddenly unable to move as he realized Terra was watching him. HIS Terra, watching him drink with Kate. Did she recognize him? Were they made? Did his heart stop beating? No, she couldn't be here. It couldn't be her… But it was. To her he just looked like just another white dude with dirty blonde hair. There was no way she could see him as her long lost lover, the Titan she choose to leave behind, along with her morally grey past. She had saved the city, and she had also enslaved it. Why was she here?

She was smiling, arm looped with some guy. Gar couldn't even focus on the man she was with, though he thought he should be jealous of the small act of intimacy. She nuzzled into his shoulder, smiling in a gentle state of tipsiness. It was her. She was here, watching him without any knowledge that she was looking straight towards Beast Boy.

Kate had already swallowed her drink, but Gar could see as the glass escaped her lips that she had noticed his state. Garfield wondered if his cloak managed to pick up fear, the whiteness of his skin showing through, "Green?" She asked, whispering softly. She tried nudging the shot towards his lips, but Gar lost hold of the drink. It quaked from his hand and fell to the floor, shattering in a mix of jagged glass and dark brown liquor.

The small crowd laughed and jeered, satisfied with the result regardless of Gar's clumsy ending to the spectacle. Kate had won despite the falter in the plan, "What's going on?" Garfield could hear buzzing in his ear. Robin… No, Nightwing was checking in. The glass falling must have snapped his attention.

Terra stared at him. Her soft smile started to slip away, eyes narrowing. She let her hand slip from her date, her mouth parting a moment. It took a fraction of a second for it to click in her… He could see it happen, the biology of it so familiar to him he could pick up any number of emotions from his love. Her eyes then went wide. Oh God, she knows. She knows who he is. Garfield felt his body grow cold. He took a few steps back, hands hoisting up on the bar to keep himself steady, "I don't know." Kate whispered through his ear, "He just locked up."

"It's Terra." Came Raven's voice, a small but commanding tone following her. "Terra is here. Get him out of there." Garfield couldn't even see her.

Garfield felt his legs go a bit wobbly. He looked to Kate for help, the sudden build of tears in his eyes threatening to destroy him. Kate nodded, quickly darting in and scooping his arm around her, "Heh, looks like my boy had one too many." She looked to the small laughing crowd, giving a wink, "See you later boys.~"

Garfield watched as he was led away from the bar, following his feet as they took step after step, not really sure of where he was going.

When he lifted his head, he was in the men's bathroom. Nightwing was already there, lowering a hand to Garfield's upper back, "He drink too much?" He asked. Garfield looked up into his eyes but saw only black… Those damned shades. Why did Nightwing have such an urge to hide himself? Why couldn't Gar just see his concern instead of taking his word for it.

"Maybe. I think it was the girl more than anything… That was Terra?" Kate asked, helping Garfield to sit against the sink. After the two made sure he was good and settled, Kate made her way to the bathroom door and locked it.

"Yeah, but don't say her name aloud. We don't need that connection."

Kate just nodded. Garfield wiped his eyes, giving a stuttering breathe, "Bleh… I'm sorry dude… I may have just made us." Garfield felt himself coming out of his Terra-induced stupor. She was a liability now, not a person… Someone who was going to block them in their mission, "Why is she even here? I thought she was out of the life."

"I didn't even know she was alive." Nightwing mumbled. Kate glanced at him. Nightwing just sighed, "Well, Green here was really the only person who saw her at that High School… I'm sorry I didn't believe him at the time." Nightwing shrugged, lifting a hand to his head. Garfield knew Nightwing's disbelief of his story already, but he appreciated the slight annoyance that accompanied Kate's expression.

"Well…" Garfield said, changing the subject, "How can we use her?" The other two looked at him with blank expressions, "Look, I don't got any illusions. This goes beyond my teen crush… If she's… If she's in with Black Mask, maybe we can use that to our advantage, see what she's got goin' with him, you know?" It sounded weak coming from his own mouth, but he wanted to reflect the team's mission. Stay away from the personal stuff, block it out… Nightwing, who had taught him all this, seemed surprised. That was good… Right?

"He's right." Raven said softly in their collective ears. Kate and Nightwing lifted a hand to their ears. Garfield had completely forgotten the Titans were all linked. "Past aside, she's a connection to Jump's new criminal underworld. If we can figure out her place in it, maybe we can talk to her…"

"Talk to her?" Nightwing said, turning away from Garfield, "She did try to kill us once."

"And she could have finished the job numerous times, but she didn't. Don't get me wrong Nigh- Blue- Ugh..."

"Just call me Black." Nightwing stated.

"Ok. She is the enemy… But, an enemy that has a past with us. We could at least get her to hesitate from killing us, if she even wanted to do that." Raven sounded cold in her assessment, but she was right. He doubted the extreme reaction of murder from the rock-controlling ex-Titan, but he knew they had to be cautious. Terra, though she was his lover, was unpredictable.

"She's outside the bathroom." Cyborg chimed in, "She seems hesitant though. I think she wants to see you."

"Have you approached her?" Nightwing asked.

"No, I think she's only recognized Gar. Do these cloaks even work guys? You'd tell me, right?"

"No… No." Garfield protested, shaking his head, "It's too soon, and I don't… I don't trust myself."

"We can't talk to her." Nightwing stated flatly, "Not now. This mission doesn't include her, and if Black Mask is watching her then he'll be watching who she talks to. That connects us in a way we can't have right now. Purple, Blue, see what you can do to get upstairs. We'll have to wait her out."

"Got it." The two said at the same time.

Kate approached Garfield, lifting a hand to his shoulder, "Are you ok?" She asked with a sisterly closeness. Garfield didn't respond at first, but he finally lifted his head and gave her a weak smile. It wasn't enough to satisfy her. Her look of concern seemed to stay present on her eyes, though her mouth returned the smile.

Garfield let out a breath, sitting in silence with his two comrades. Outside that door was a connection to his past he had pushed deep inside himself. Something as deep as The Beast. It seemed the universe was out to get him. Well, if not get him then break him open and let The Beast inside run free. Garfield was becoming very frightened of the idea.


	10. Black Tie Event Part 4

[Hey guys! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.

I've been thinking on the idea of writing perspectives outside the main five, and I tested that today. Tell me what you think. :)

Also, I'm curious if you guys like one perspective per chapter, or do you enjoy the way I have been doing it here and before. Please let me know. They way I figure it, I can pump out more if I single it to one perspective per chapter, but they'd be smaller.

Anyway, enjoy!]

-Raven-

Terra hadn't changed much. She still had the lanky look to her form, even if she had grown a bit taller. Her dress was black like everyone elses, but she held herself with a look of normalcy. She could easily have blended into this crowd, if Garfield hadn't noticed her. She had become more beautiful, that was for sure. Though Raven attributed that to overcoming the cusp of adolescence. She had kept her hair the same length as she did in her teens, and her eyes held the swaying blue that just locked you into them. The look on her face held concern.

Something seethed inside Raven as she watched the ex-teammate hover outside the men's bathroom. How dare she choose this moment to come into Garfield's life. It was a bubbling mix of annoyance that seemed to evolve into fury the longer she looked at her. This isn't what the team needed. It definitely wasn't what Gar needed either…"

Raven watched her from a hallway at the opposite end of the club. The empath was cast in shadow, mingling with the loners who segregated themselves from the fun because it was 'beneath them.' She watched as Terra stood among the dancers, getting knocked around by jiggling bodies as she stayed locked in place, her hands dangling pathetically at her sides. She just stared at the bathroom door, still as a statue on the verge of shattering. Did she realize who Garfield was? It seemed that way. Garfield gave himself away rather spectacularly, and Raven couldn't get the image of his hurt expression out of her thoughts. She hurt him again, over and over...

Raven felt a warm trickle of something along her finger. She looked down, realizing it was blood. Her hands were clenched into fists so tight that she broke skin without realizing it. Raven needed to calm down, to place herself outside of the confrontation. She needed to meditate.

Ok, Terra was back and she knew that Garfield was too. What did that mean to their mission? Was this an element that scrapped the entire attempt? Garfield had made it sound that Dick was quick to scrub missions on the slightest of unseen elements. This had to be one of them… But… Did Terra know what she saw?

Raven took a deep breath, turning away from the girl whom she once called her friend. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the hallway wall, filling her lungs with air and then whispering out, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" She kept her voice low, barely audible, just a flicker of lip movement within a blur of noise that surrounded her. The sound seemed to dull out from her mind, becoming a muffled collage of inoffensive sounds. It felt peaceful, serene, an oasis amongst a desert of idiots.

She felt something in that moment, something that shattered her peace. It was a internal proximity warning, someone dangerously close to her. In her face even... Her eyes darted open, and the handsome face of Dick Grayson was inches from her own, his hand planted on the wall behind her.

Not many people knew of Nightwing's true identity. It wasn't something he casually threw around, even among friends. It told something of his ability to trust other people by how only a handful of people knew him as one of the Flying Graysons from times long past. Raven had realized that Gar and Kate still didn't know who he really was. Raven only knew of such things because of entering his mind, so it didn't really feel like he had told her anything at all. It felt as if she stole the information.

Raven blinked, then furrowed her brow in annoyance, turning away from the man, "You know, the Batman act isn't very flattering." She said, peering back at him with her arms crossed.

"You haven't even seen me disappear yet." Dick said without missing a beat. He was intimately close, too close… He lifted his hand to her chin, guiding her back to his gaze. Raven felt herself unwrap from her stiff position, planting her back against the wall and feeling it settle there.

Raven found herself getting lost in the black of his sunglasses. Though it was too hard to tell, she thought she could see the light of his iris past the black shades. It made her focus on him, lock herself to him as he inched closer and closer towards her. "U-uh..." She muttered out, unable to find the words.

Dick just smirked, lifting his hand from her chin to her ear, planting a thumb against the bud within her canal. He was blocking the communication device they were all synced too. He wanted this a secret. The idea of being a part of the secret excited Raven to no end. She found herself stepping up on her toes, pushing herself closer towards his embrace. He cupped his fingers around her neck in the same motion, pulling her in for a kiss.

It was deep and passionate, almost forceful… He didn't wait to ask. He just took it. His tongue made its way into her mouth, dancing an intimate waltz with her own that she had no possibility of keeping up with.

Raven was taken aback and shocked, but she couldn't help but enjoy the lack of hesitation in his intentions. Dick was a man who took what he wanted, and Raven felt her stomach tie in a knot as he took her. Her hands quaked to his chest, weakly protesting with a push, but she found herself unable to force herself away. This is what she wanted, right here… It might not have been the time or place, but she'd be damned if she was going to refuse a kiss from the boy she had peaked at in passing for all these years.

It was good that she managed to clear her head before the kiss, otherwise she didn't know what her powers would do in reaction to the kiss. She was handling it better than she thought she would, but that was probably because all of her nerves had been on edge since she awoke. This almost seemed to relax her, to calm her back into her meditative state.

Robin finally pulled away, his smile still present and cocky on his lips. His chest was against hers now, and Raven began to absorb all the details around her again. The sights, lights and sounds gave meaning to how drowned out their kiss was in the grand scheme of things. Raven thought it sappy, but she expected someone to notice, or compliment them… Something corny that would have made all the sense in the world in one of her books. Instead, the highly intimate display was… null. Null to mission before them. Null to the people around who were probably involved in much more depraved acts than a stolen kiss.

Raven felt duped. She pushed a bit harder, frowning as Dick allowed himself to be pushed away, as if he had known her delayed resistance would eventually happen. Raven felt embarrassed that she gave her first kiss away so easily, but the spontaneity felt... breathtaking… Literally. Something new to add to the list of things that cataloged in her mind since she awoke from her four year slumber.

"I'm supposed to be wooed by someone who can get me upstairs, remember?" Raven finally managed, dipping back into the hallway's shadows, finger blocking that transmission from reached her ear bud.

"Yeah, but it seemed like you needed to get some encouragement. You've been back here since we started." Nightwing said, cocky smirk still on his lips. He had done something like that before. He knew his charms had a way on women. He knew how to get what he wanted through seduction. So, what was Raven to him then? Was she just another angle to the schemer, or did he really like her? These questions didn't make her feel confident in any answer, so she just smiled back.

"I've been watching."

"Oh? That Rock problem?" It took Raven a minute to realize he had assigned Terra a codename already. Ever the spy…

"No, I've noticed a few things." Raven reached up with her own hand now, her fingers as confident as his own. Nightwing frowned, stepping a bit back. Oh, he didn't like being taken in the same way, hm? Raven grinned wickedly, getting close to his lips again, pushing herself up on her toes. Dick let his eyes flutter closed, as if he expected it, and…

Raven jerked his head towards the bar. Dick gave a grunt of surprise, his eyes flickering open, "See that blonde guy at the bar? He's been looking you up and down since you came in here." Raven whispered, following his gaze to the blonde soul who had a distant crush on her kiss thief. She stepped behind Nightwing, pressing her body against his back, as if positioning her own plaything for her amusement.

The man was looking towards the ground, but facing the two. He looked disappointed. His gaze then lifted to the Nightwing, suddenly realizing he was being watched. He quickly turned on his heels to the bar, hunching over in embarrassment, "I've been watching him for a while… He goes upstairs, flashes something to the guard at the top of the stairs, and then dips behind a red velvet curtain at the back of the club." Raven detailed, whispering every bit into his ear.

"I think I see where this is going…" Nightwing muttered, giving a small chuckle as Raven released his jaw.

"Mmhm. Why don't you work those famous charms on that poor boy over there, seeing as how it was your idea in the first place to woo our way up there." Raven said, giving his butt a soft pat. It was a humiliating gesture for him, she probably figured, but she wanted revenge for the kiss.

Nightwing sighed, looking back to the empath, "I guess this is karma biting me in the ass." He said, rubbing the spot where she patted.

A snickering voice erupted in Raven's ear, "I can't see what's goin' on from the bathroom, but man I wish I could see the look on Nightwing's face right now."

"Ditto." Kate replied.

"I can see it. In fact, I saw a lot…" Cyborg stated.

Raven felt herself go cold. She darted about the club with her eyes, looking for the hidden cybernetic comrade. She couldn't see him. She fell back, slipping into the shadows to hide her shame. Cyborg had seen them. He had seen Nightwing steal a kiss and how she reacted. Oh Gods…

Dick was frowning, but he then laughed, looking back to Raven, "Alright, you win… I'll go flirt with blondie." He lifted his hands in surrender and made his way into the mesh of people. If he had picked up on Victor's insinuation, he didn't show it. Ever the actor...

Raven watched from her shadow in the corner, the back of his head a landmark among the sea of people. He walked up to the bar, slipping next to the blonde. Raven could hear him speaking, "Hey there. Like what you saw over there?"

"Uh, I didn't mean to pry." The blonde said, his voice muffled.

"I don't mind a little prying. Especially if it's from someone as cute as you." He growled out, all confidence. "What's your name?" He asked, leaning into a nice little bubble where the two could talk. It radiated intimacy, but held the illusion of a friendly conversation between two men.

The blonde laughed nervously, obviously curious if he was being set up, "Uh, It's Austin. My name is Austin."

"Well Austin… Let me buy you a drink."

"O-Ok."

Garfield chimed in again, "I'm beginning to realize Nightwing could probably talk me into bed if he really wanted to."

"Maybe me too, Christ…" Kate laughed.

Dick smiled, hearing them. He stayed locked on his blonde friend though, never alluding to the outside compliment. Raven watched him with her mouth somewhat agape, not believing what she was seeing. Dick Grayson was some kind of alien, someone who put his mind to something and demanded success to the Gods themselves, and the Heavens be damned if they denied him. Now given the chance, Dick was getting upstairs. It was just a matter of time.

Ever the incubus...

Raven circled around the dancefloor, peering at the souls who were chatting up other respective mates. Her eyes trailed up the stairs once more, peering towards the railing that hovered over the entire club, like the Emperor's booth to the gladiator arena. Standing in the middle, smoking a cigarette by herself, was the ghost from the past... Terra…

-Terra-

'It was lonely at the top.' Terra kept thinking on that phrase as she people watched. Of course, it wasn't literal. In fact, there were plenty of people up on the VIP section with her. They were either sitting in booths or looking down to the bumping dance floor, as she was. Plenty of people though... That was the whole reason she was here. These… 'people.' Still, loneliness and Terra were not strange bedfellows, and seeing… Seeing Beast Boy again didn't do any favors to her emotions.

Terra lifted the smoke to her lips, taking another inhale as she gazed below. Robin was chatting with some blonde guy at a bar. Terra didn't recognize him, but she was surprised that a guy who was very bad at hiding his sexual orientation would be let into Black Mask's criminal organization. Weren't the gangsters on TV always homophobes? Terra had to give it to the Black Mask… He was at least progressive.

Terra smiled, watching the flustered blonde get wined and dined by the infamous Robin charm. It was even famous back in the days of the Teen Titans. Terra figured it was quadrupled when the Boy Wonder peaked into Nightwing. And boy, did he peak. Terra had to watch him for a bit before confirming that it was, indeed, Nightwing.

Terra had read a few reports on Robin AKA Nightwing since she was enlisted. He had stuck to Gotham in the last few years, organizing a small strike squad that was tasked with smaller undercover assignments for the Justice League… Though she had heard that they might go independent. He started out alone, but Beast Boy had followed him and Nightwing had allowed her ex-lover to join him in his operations. During that time, he had started a small love affair with Barbara Gordon, after Starfire had left Earth of course. That ended after the Joker had crippled her. Terra remembered how the bluntness of those two facts placed together signified how underwhelming the romance must have been… Still, she pitied the poor Batgirl, wherever she may be right now. She was just a statistic in a file, but the lonely sentence detailing their breakup was enough to make Terra feel for her.

Her eyes drifted from her old leader, landing back upon the bathroom door which held Beast Boy and the red head inside. Batwoman, who was a recent addition to the files, had hair just as red. Terra figured it must have been her. Surprisingly, all she knew of Batwoman was her first name: Kate. There a few details here and there, but Terra was really the one filling in the blanks. She kept herself well hidden in Gotham.

There was a small line of people at the side of the bathroom, waiting impatiently for Garfield to leave. Terra wondered if they thought he was having sex with Kate inside. They must have with the sly smiles and laughs the group exchanged with each other. For a reason she didn't quite understand, the image of Garfield with another woman didn't bother Terra. In fact, it made her happy. Happy that the boy he loved found solace in another human being. She didn't think that was happening though. Garfield couldn't face Terra, and that idea pained her in a way she didn't think could affect her again...

Garfield… She wasn't even sure if it was really him, but after making both Raven and Robin it was clear to see her suspicions were founded. She had been so stupid to put herself out like that, to approach him and reach out for him. But… It was Beast Boy. She hadn't seen him since that time in school, when she had hidden her true self from him and had feigned ignorance of their past adventures… Of their love... He had looked so hurt when she turned away from him, and now she had hurt him again just by being in the same room. Terra clenched her smoke, frustrated with how no matter what she did, she was always hurting her love.

He had some kind of disguise on, that was for sure. He had stared at her with horror in his eyes, a horror that broke his disguise to pieces. Who else would look at her like that but someone who she betrayed? Terra had realized there was something familiar about him when she was watching the drinking display between him and his girlfriend. Or was she? If this was a part of some Titans thing, perhaps the girlfriend was an act. The way he looked at Terra though… It sent a shiver up her spine. It had to be him. What boy had she betrayed that would have had a reaction like that, if not Beast Boy?

Oh, that's right. His file had said he was Changeling now. Terra liked the name. It suited him.

Garfield had changed quite a bit since the last she saw him. He had grown taller, a bit bulkier. She wondered if he had learned to change his green appearance, or if there was some kind of magic or delicate technology at work. Perhaps he was just cured, but then why would he still be with the Titans? No, it had to be a disguise.

Terra felt the burn of someone watching her, someone she knew… It was weird how a few years of training had given her so many new abilities, things that regular human beings never realized they had… Sensory abilities.

She glanced down, and locked eyes with Raven.

Raven stared at her like SHE was the the demon, a monster put up on a pedestal that had once again torn her comrade's feelings asunder, just by being here. Terra had no sympathy for the empath. She remembered their fight. Terra was sure she had drowned the girl in mud. She had sensed the hate there, the fury of Raven's father's power behind those four eyes. She had used it to gain leverage against the half-demon, and had beaten her… Terra wasn't sure if Raven had ever forgiven her for her betrayal. Sure, the Titans had all gathered and planted a plaque next to her stone frozen form. Beast Boy was quick to forgive. Hell, the two loved each other… The others though?

Terra didn't blink. She straightened herself, taking another drag of her smoke and glaring down at the goth. It was a challenge. 'Do something about me being here, Raven. Break your cover.' A small smile curved at the corner of her lips. What a cluster fuck that would be, but Terra knew Raven wouldn't attack. Even with all that seething hate boiling in her eyes, the Titan wouldn't break cover, and neither would she.

Raven grimaced, gritting her teeth and disappeared amongst the crowd of dancers. She left Terra alone, once again.

Terra took another drag off her smoke before stubbing it on the railing, trying to place Cyborg.

That was when she felt it. A cool, metallic prod that pressed into her lower back. She could feel the gun's barrel through her dress, and she turned to find Black Mask himself standing beside her, one of his men at her back with a gun.

He was a tall, slender man. He had muscle on him, but it was evident that muscle had been taken through years of abuse with drugs and alcohol. He looked good now though, at least what Terra saw of him. He wore a black suit, a red tie tucked into his jacket. As trademarked on his file, Roman Sionis covered his face with a black skull mask, one which hugged along his facial features to a point where the mask moved with every lift of an eyebrow or smirk across his lips. For all Terra knew, it was fused to his face. He hadn't been seen with it off in years, so Roman Sionis was Roman Sionis no more… But instead, The Black Mask, in all his arrogant glory.

"Mr. Sionis. Glad you finally came and saw me." Terra offered a soft smile, turning back down to the crowd.

"I'm very curious why a member of the League of Assassins has decided to come to my little party. I'm also curious why a member of the League of Assassins would pose as a date for one of my men, and then make her way upstairs."

Terra had paused at that. As far as she knew, her alibi was water-tight. No way the Mask could have known about her infiltration… Unless she was ratted on by another member of the League. But who? Not Cass… Not Damien… Oh, how she ached to see them again, "To kill all of you, of course." Terra smiled to him, letting a strand of her blonde hair fall over her face. She said it with a cool attitude, never missing a beat. She never showed a sign of malice or evil in her statement. It was just a matter of fact.

It was Sionis' turn to pause at that, "You aren't very good at keeping secrets, are you?" He asked with a little chuckle, taking a sip of his whiskey. He offered a glass that was in his other hand to Terra, and she took it with a polite nod.

"Doesn't matter now. Circumstances have changed. You and your… People have been spared by an offset of luck." Terra admitted. She wasn't going to blow the building with all of her ex Titans inside, even if there were those among them who hated her.

"I guess I should be relieved." Black Mask muttered, an unconvinced tone to his voice, "May I ask why?"

"You can ask, but I'm not gonna tell you. Ninja secrets and all that." Terra said with a wink.

Sionis smiled a wicked smile, turning towards her and leaning against the railing, the noise of the bustling club below him an after thought, "Why should I believe you? What proof do you have that you could even cause a dent to my club, Terra…"

Terra lifted something out of her pocket, revealing a detonator, "This entire building is wired to blow. All I have to do is die or press this button, and everyone goes."

"Including you."

"If necessary." She shrugged, looking to him, "I'm much more comfortable with dying than you probably realize… Sionis." She placed her thumb over the button, not a flinch or an inch of worry in her expression. It was true. She was ready to die. She had already done it once, what was one more?

Though, to her credit, all the bombs were mounted onto their positions with a mud infused plaster. If they did blow, Terra had a few milliseconds to mold all the mud and surround herself with it and harden it. It was better to let Sionis think she was dedicated though.

Black Mask frowned, giving a nod to his underling. The gun slipped away from her back, and the man disappeared into the small crowd behind them, "Then, if we are to be civil, let's talk… Why is the League of Assassins interested in my affairs in Jump City?"

Terra just stared at him, smiling.

Sionis grunted, "I'm guessing, like always, your group is trying to destroy my enterprise before it even gets off the ground."

"I'd say it has already taken off. You have done your damage to this city, and the League wishes it dealt with." Terra stated, "Unlike Gotham, Jump can be saved before you cause irreparable devastation." She swirled the drink in her hand, looking at it. Was there poison inside? Would Sionis take that chance?

"You have me all wrong, Terra. I have brought a boom of economic prosperity to Jump City." He turned towards the crowd, lifting his hands, "Look how my people prosper, delighted in their wealth." They cheered from the sight of their host, drinks and fists lifted in solidarity. Their King. Their God.

"Delighted in their sin maybe…"

"That's the problem with you League types. You only think in absolutes. What of all super criminals that plagued this city before I came? The Dr. Lights, the Cinderblocks, causing millions in damage to the city and nearly bankrupting it. The Terras and the Slades locking the city down into a dystopian hell hole…" He glared at her with a smirk. Terra ignored him, looking away, "Hell, the police had to become privatized just to fight these monsters. I had the scum put away, paid off or disposed of. Jump City is grateful."

"And what of the drugs and violence your men plague the streets with?" She asked, lifting her gaze to him again, "The pushers and pimps?"

"Is it really so bad for a man to want a vice? Is it really so bad to enjoy your life, no matter how you waste it away, as opposed to writhing in fear from the large boot of Slade coming down to kill us all?"

Terra didn't answer. He knew how to sell something, that was for sure. Sionis was a businessman, first and foremost. Whatever he was behind that was secondary.

"Where is Slade?" Mask asked, his voice just under a whisper.

"I-I don't know." Terra became mad at herself that she allowed the name to waver her so. She clenched against the railing of the club patio, glaring down at the mesh of people like it was some kind of puzzle that needed to be solved. The darkest piece of the puzzle seemed to be their bloody bodies stacked on top of each other.

"My spies have scoured the globe in search of him. He has left no trace. I KNOW that he gave you a new life, a new identity. I KNOW he set up up in that Jump High School, gave you a reasonable sum to begin anew. I KNOW a lot of things Terra. How much do you know?"

"He's gone." Terra whispered, not looking to the man. "He's gone, and that's all that matters."

Sionis paused at that. He continued to stare at her, drumming his fingers against the railing, "Where's Rose?"

Terra lifted her eyes to him, "Who?"

Black Mask stared at her for a moment, reading her. She knew that look. Her Master had the same look when he was looking to see if she was lying. She wasn't lying. She didn't know a Rose. Who was Rose?

Black Mask seemed satisfied, lifting his head from his stare and taking another long sip of his whiskey. He smiled, happy to know something she didn't, and then turned away, "Have a good time Terra. Please give Ra's al Ghul my regards."

Terra didn't answer. She watched him leave, her eyes following the man until they led to someone staring at her on the other side of the V.I.P. section.

Robin- No, Nightwing approached her slowly, his own drink in his hand. She turned away from him, suddenly unsure of herself. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, allowing him to approach. She then turned to him with a smile as he leaned over the railing with her.

"Terra."

"Dick."

That surprised him. His mouth fell a bit agape, then turned back towards the crowd. "How did you know?" He asked, taking his ear bud out of his ear. He clasped his fist over it, muffling the sound as he spoke. Terra glanced down to the crowd, trying to make out if the others had made their way to the V.I.P. section with him. The line had cleared up at the restroom, so it seemed both Beast Boy and the red head were gone. Raven wasn't making herself be known, Cyborg had been missing the entire night, and she knew Starfire was somewhere off planet.

"It's in your file. I assume you were listening?"

"Yeah." He pointed to a small bugger looking glob stuck to the railing. There was a soft red glow of something electrical inside, but in the club, with all its colors and flashing lights, it just blended into the shade. Terra gave a small snort, smirking up at Nightwing.

"So… I assume you wanted to ask me something."

"Is it true?"

"Which part?" She asked, unable to read his face. Dick could do a number of things very well, stoicism was one of them.

"Slade."

She exhaled. Of course he wanted to know about Slade Wilson, "I haven't spoken to him in years."

"Don't lie to me." He growled.

"It's the truth. After he set me up with a new life, a new identity… He left. He said he was going to Europe, but I looked into it and I never heard word of any Sladish activities." She chuckled.

"You think this is funny? He ruined your life!" Robin stated, his voice breaking past the calm conversation between them into something more heated.

"And he died for it. I killed him." Terra said, with an equally stern tone in her voice. Robin was taken aback, "I put him in hell itself, and he still crawled his way up to me." She said, jabbing a finger down with a growl of her own, "That's what kind of man Slade is. A man who doesn't just accept death. And despite all that, he released me from my prison, he gave me a new life, and he left me alone. I'd say I've gotten over what he did to me, but an arrogant boy like you couldn't get over the one who got away!"

Nightwing clenched his fists. He looked ready to hit her. He wondered if he held back because of his disguise, or because she was right. Dick exhaled, relaxing his hands, "And yet you just got yourself in trouble yet again…"

"The League of Assassins? Hardly. We're on the same side now."

"The same side? The Assassins are criminals-

"The only reason you're alive right now is because the League of Assassins have too much respect for the Teen Titans to let them die in a club bombing. I'm sure you heard that part too. Don't test me by assuming I'll let you talk down to my brothers and sisters. I'm in charge of this operation, and I have just scrubbed it because of your fucking presence. Appreciate that." Terra said, sneering towards Nightwing before looking back at the crowd.

"You're really ok with doing that? There are civilians in the-

"Civilians who came to Black Mask's party willingly, and without hesitation. I'm sure one of these brainless idiots can read a paper. It's their own fault for aligning their support to a man who is strangling this city-

"Terra. Terra…" Dick interrupted, getting close to her. "It doesn't have to happen like this again. You could come back to us. You could be our friend again. You can be with Garfield…" Nightwing was softer now, realizing the argument was escalating.

Terra breathed in at Garfield's name, feeling a welling of tears build in her eyes, "Go back? Yeah right… You would all sleep soundly knowing I was in the next room?"

…

"I thought so," She huffed out with a sad laugh, "Get out of here, Dick Grayson."

"I'm not leaving this club with you holding that detonator." Nightwing said, standing strong on that subject. He crossed his arms, completely facing her now.

"Fine," She said, turning to him, "I'll trade you for something."

"F-for what?"

"Your silence. I want you to never tell Beast Boy what I'm doing now. I want your word that everything you've heard here tonight never reaches his ears, and I'll know if it does. Your tower reconstruction project isn't as secret as you think it is." Terra whispered out that last bit like a demon, a wicked smile on her lips as she let some of her hair fall in front of her face. It was an intimidating act, showing Robin how deep the League's influence went in Jump City, and she relished in the look he gave her. Even behind the shades, she could tell he was scared.

Dick took a moment to process everything, to think… He took in another breath, "I promise."

Terra unplugged the detonator from a wire that led up her sleeve. She placed it in his hand, opening it up to see the ear bud still resting inside it. She placed the detonator in his palm, leaning in close, "Tell the others… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." She knew they'd hear her.

And then she turned, and walked away…


End file.
